Art of Tekken

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IN THE HEYDAY OF FIGHTING GAMES,
™
Namco released Tekken and redefined
the genre in three dimensions. Known
for its deep gameplay, cutting edge
graphics, and operatic lore, Tekken
has become synonymous with the
PlayStation brand while remaining
one of the last vestiges of the arcade.
THE ART OF TEKKEN:

A COMPLETE VISUAL HISTORY
follows the series history as told by the
Bandai Namco developers who made
it a reality and the players who made it
a phenomenon on its way to becoming
the best-selling fighting game series
of all time. Featuring hundreds
of images and rare sketches from
every core title in the franchise, it’s a
complete visual retrospective of one of
gaming’s most indispensable series.
$39.99
ISBN 978-1-524-10773-4
53999
9 781524 107734
TEKKEN™&©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
TEKKEN-COVER-STANDARD-GH.indd 1 2/26/19 10:03 AM

Image from 3DS Tekken Prime Edition
TEKKEN-INTS-00-FRONT-MATTER-GH.indd 1 2/25/19 3:36 PM

THE ART OF TEKKEN: A COMPLETE VISUAL HISTORY. Published by
Dynamite Entertainment. 113 Gaither Dr., STE 205, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054.
TEKKEN™&©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
These and other © and ™ works appear as historic examples of artwork

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™
WRITER
JERALD HULL
BOOK DESIGNER
RODOLFO MURAGUCHI
PROJECT MANAGER
RICH YOUNG
EDITOR
ELENA A. SMITH

Image from Tekken 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS
6 INTRODUCTION
8 GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE
10 The Birth of Namco
12 The Arms Race
14 The Sony Gamble
18 Rave War
22 The Iron Fist Tournament
28 Round 2
34 Born In a Dying Land
38 At Home In Nihon
44 Continue?
50 Tekken Tag Tournament
54 Tekken 4
60 Talking The Talk
66 Tekken 5
72 Gamepad Vs. Joystick
74 CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER
206 ROUND 2: READY… FIGHT!
208 Tekken 6
214 Tekken Tag Tournament 2
220 Iron Fist World Tour
226 Tekken: The Movies
228 Tekken 7
234 Proving Grounds
236 THE FUTURE OF TEKKEN
238 DEVELOPERS TALK TEKKEN
242 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
243 CITATIONS

INTRODUCTION
F
ported to a console, were exposed for their strengths: the distinctive characters of Street
IGHTING GAMES RULED the mid ‘90s. design mostly meant to eat quarters. But fighting Fighter; the violent brutality of Mortal Kombat.
For years, you would be hard pressed games felt different. Winning was winning. The complexity and 3D wizardry of Tekken.
to find a video game magazine — in any Losing was losing. And inviting a friend or sibling As of 2017, Tekken games had sold more than
country — without a fighting game on its cover. to pick up the second controller was a challenge 44 million copies worldwide, making Tekken the
The release of Street Fighter II: The World almost worthy of the public arena of the arcade. best-selling fighting game series of all time. And
Warrior had created a paradigm shift in a Street Fighter II was the first. It would be it got there by way of a simple philosophy: Keep
growing industry, and everyone wanted a piece. followed by a host of others: Mortal Kombat, making games.
Though fighting games had evolved from Virtua Fighter, Primal Rage, Killer Instinct. Like the proverbial boxer who is knocked
arcade beat-’em-ups and side scrollers like And Tekken. down seven times but gets up eight, Tekken
Double Dragon and Streets of Rage, Street By the mid ‘90s, polygonal 3-D graphics had has always persevered—and done its best to
Fighter II had debuted the “fighting game” as a come into vogue —especially in the arcade, where capitalize on its popularity and to innovate for
brand new genre. More than that, it had bridged the cabinets were still more powerful than their the next generation.
the gap between the waning arcade market in-home counterparts. And in the rat race of the “Everyone talks about the boom of fighting
and the burgeoning home console market, competitive arcade scene, where physical space games before, but not the current ones,” says
bolstering both. was at a premium, 3-D graphics stood out. But Katsuhiro Harada, the producer of the Tekken
Street Fighter II meant true multiplayer Tekken’s use of 3-D was about more than visual series. “We saw a lot of titles introduced, but a lot
competition: one-on-one fights, unmoderated flair. Using the classic fighting-game format, have disappeared. A lot of franchises that people
by a leaderboard. Your opponent stood right Tekken became a showcase for how 3-D space might have fond memories of, and say, ‘Hey, that
beside you. Your blood and adrenaline surged for could be used — how it looked, how it felt, how was really awesome,’ are no longer here.
minute-long fight to the K.O. Placing quarters you moved. “I feel strongly that it’s very important for a
down on a fighting game that meant more than Though it had come into the scene on Street franchise to continue to be relevant and continue
“I’m next”; it meant, “I got winner.” Fighter II and Virtua Fighter’s shoulders, Tekken to make installments and for the franchise to
A visit to the arcade to seek out new soon made a name for itself with intuitive be updated. Not just for people who played at
opponents, make new friends, and hone your controls, cutting edge graphics, and relentless that certain time, but to bridge the gap between
skills suddenly felt vital in a way it hadn’t in iteration. generations, and to keep the game available to
years. Meanwhile, that experience became There were plenty of games that charged into newer players as well.”
transportable to your home. Most console games the fighting genre’s now crowded arena, only to And so, some 25 years after fighting games
didn’t translate well to the quick-play format be felled by a superior opponent and never heard hit the mainstream, one true champion is left
of the arcade. And many arcade games, once from again. Each game had its own signature standing: Tekken.
6 | THE A R T OF TEK K EN: A COMPL E TE V ISUA L HIS TORY

TEKKEN-INTS-01-HISTORY.indd 8 22/02/19 12:09
GET R E AD Y
FOR TH E
NEX T BA TT LE
THE BIRTH
OF NAMCO
I
N 1955, Masaya Nakamura purchased two department store in Tokyo. The Roadway Ride was But with 10 years of exclusive Japanese rights
wooden horses and installed them on the a “racetrack” on rails, similar to old-timey car rides and Namco’s established roots in the game
rooftop of a department store in Yokohama. in modern day theme parks. It was enormously centers, Nakamura was certain he would make
The horses were the first children’s novelty for popular. Soon there would be a Roadway Ride on his money back. He was right—and then some.
his new company, Nakamura Seisakusho. nearly every department-store roof in Japan. Acquiring distribution rights to some of the
Department stores were a part of Japan’s The features that drew customers were most popular games of the era gave Namco
Westernization in the aftermath of World War always evolving. And when they evolved into the resources to continue to innovate. Over the
II, and rooftop amusement parks became a video games, Nakamura was once again at the next decade, Namco would produce some of the
common feature. Parents would bring their forefront. The company’s first arcade game most iconic arcade titles of all time, including
kids for a fun city excursion, or drop them off was called Racer. It was a straightforward title Pac-Man, Galaga, Xevious, and Dig Dug. Even
to play while the adults shopped. Eventually, for a straightforward game, one of the earliest after the arcade market waned in the mid-‘80s,
department store rooftops would come to host examples of the racing genre. Shortly after and other game companies folded, Namco
ferris wheels, crane games, plinko, and a variety introducing Racer, the Nakamura Manufacturing remained resilient. Its long history and diverse
of other games and rides. They were was the Company began going by a simpler abbreviation: assets allowed it to survive times of financial
birthplace of Japan’s gemu sentaas (game Namco. uncertainty and continue to look ahead. In the
centers) — or, as we call them, arcades. In 1974, Namco cemented its place in the late ‘80s, looking for a spark that would light the
Nakamura’s company grew along with the booming arcade business when it purchased path into the next decade, Namco again decided
rooftop amusement craze, and he eventually the Japanese rights to Atari. The move was it was time to innovate.
changed the company name to Nakamura considered extremely risky at the time. Despite And so it began development of what would
Manufacturing Company. In 1963, the company Atari’s unquestionable success in the U.S. become the System 21, the first arcade board
installed the Roadway Ride atop the Mitsukoshi market, the $500,000 price tag was steep. dedicated to 3-D.

THE ARMS RACE
THE BATTLE FOR ARCADE SUPREMACY WAS ABOUT MORE THAN THE GAMES
T
HE EMERGENCE OF home video game space on the arcade floor for more games. Miami Vice-style title treatment, stood out on
consoles changed the way we talk about Every inch of floor space mattered. the arcade floor. And once players were behind
games. How many bits? How much RAM? In 1985, as the arcade market recovered from wheel, the 3-D graphics sucked them in. Winning
How many controller ports? Cartridge or disc? a slight dip, Namco was looking to the horizon. Run became one of the most popular games in
When the systems became products themselves, They knew that in order to stay relevant at the Japanese arcades.
knowing them inside and how became just as arcade, they would need to plan not only for Despite taking three years to develop, System
important as the games they played. the games of 1986, but the games of 1990 and 21 put Namco laps ahead of the competition. No
In the arcades, the games were just the 2000. The knew that new frontier of hardware other arcade developers were prepared for 3-D.
games, so the hardware went unnoticed. development was 3-D. Not even Sega, who wouldn’t begin to develop its
Name any prominent arcade developer — Atari, In 1988, after three years of development, own 3-D board until after it had seen the power
Nintendo, Sega, Namco — and a list of its most Namco unveiled the System 21, known around of the Polygonizer.
famous games is sure to follow. Those are the the industry as the Polygonizer. The System With such a massive head start, Namco was
reasons each of them are a household name. 21 was made up for four printed circuit boards able to carve out its very own corner of the market.
But as game developers battled for relevance (PCBs), including a Graphics Processing They continued to improve the board, making
in an increasingly competitive arcade market, Unit (GPU) solely dedicated to processing performance enhancements in System 21B and
there was another battle raging beneath the 3-D graphics. That GPU contained five Texas 21C. It had a series of 3-D hits, like Galaxian3, a
surface: the battle for hardware supremacy. Instruments microchips that far exceeded the sequel to Galaxian and Galaga, and Starblade.
The need for better hardware stemmed processing power of anything else on the market And as if the power of their arcade board weren’t
naturally from the need for games — not at the time. It was the first arcade system board enough, the follow-up to Winning Run was
necessarily better games, but different games. made specifically to process 3-D polygons. released in 1991 with a dual System 21 board.
If your game was in color instead of black- Namco showcased this new technology by For four years, Namco owned 3-D — all the
and-white, it stood out. If your motherboard going back to its arcade roots: racing games. way until 1992, when Sega finally released its
could render more pixels, players noticed. In a Winning Run was a straight-forward racing competing board, the Model 1. Sega showed
long row of like-sized cabinets, even a slight game that put players behind the wheel of a off the power of their new board with a racing
innovation stood out. Standing out meant more Formula One car. The pod-like cabinet, steering game, as Namco had, and with it became the new
quarters, which meant more profits and more wheel, pedals, silver and red racing chair, and industry leader in 3-D technology.

Tekken 4 characters rough sketches

THE SONY
GAMBLE
A NEW CONSOLE MEANT A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR NAMCO
B
EFORE THE LAUNCH of the PlayStation Nintendo deal was off the table when Nintendo Central to answering these questions was a
in late 1994, Sony had spent the better part chairman Howard Lincoln took the CES stage and simpler debate: Would the Playstation focus on
of a decade trying to get into the home announced a partnership with Philips instead. 2-D or 3-D games? Sony knew their technology
console market. The music and electronics giant After regrouping, Kutaragi attempted to could play either, but choosing one went a long
had wagered early on that their compact disc align the PlayStation with Sega. Sega CEO Tom way to defining the PlayStation brand. Though
technology had potential as a medium for games Kilinski even took the proposal to his board of 3-D games were gaining traction at the arcades,
and had filed several patents with that application directors, but was rebuffed. In a 2013 interview console games were overwhelmingly 2-D — and
mind. In 1988, Sony even signed a deal with with US Gamer, Kilinski recalled having been was the console space Sony was attempting to
Nintendo for what was originally conceived as an told by the board, “That’s a stupid idea. Sony penetrate. On top of that, 2-D games were much
add-on to the Super Famicom (or Super Nintendo doesn’t know how to make hardware. They don’t cheaper to develop.
Entertainment System in the West). know how to make software either. Why would But then something happened — and, according
The add-on, called the “PlayStation,” was we want to do this?” to former Sony Computer Entertainment
set to be announced at the 1991 Consumer It was only then that Sony decided to make a chairman Shigeo Maruyama, “the direction of
Electronics Show. But at the eleventh hour, console of their own. the PlayStation became instantly clear.”
notoriously hard-nosed Nintendo President But what kind of console would it be? Aside That something was Virtua Fighter.
Hiroshi Yamauchi reread the original contract and from the compact-disc format, everything “If it wasn’t for Virtua Fighter, the PlayStation
discovered it gave a disproportionate amount of was up for debate. Would it be cool and edgy, probably would have had a completely different
control to Sony. As the industry leader in home like the upcoming Sega Saturn? Or robust and hardware concept,” former Sony Computer
consoles, Yamauchi was offended. Ken Kutaragi, family-friendly like Nintendo’s Super Famicom? Entertainment producer Ryoji Akagawa told
the “Father of the PlayStation,” learned that the What kind of games would it support? 4Gamer in 2012.

HISTORY
The fighting game’s stunning polygonal partnerships allowed Sony to get the games its games in both the arcades and on home
graphics and enormous popularity at Japanese it needed — and game studios to expand their consoles, as they had once done with Nintendo.
game centers showed Sony unequivocally that reach. With Sega and Nintendo’s emphasis on Meanwhile, Namco had lost its footing as
3-D was the future of gaming — and their angle first-party titles, third-party games were often the industry leader in 3-D. With Sega’s Model 1
on the marketplace. A rival had inadvertently lost in the shuffle. and Model 2 arcade boards powering the likes
given Sony the key to giving PlayStation a To most of the games industry, the PlayStation’s of Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA, and The House
fighting chance and avoiding saddling their new 3-D processor and CD format presented a big risk. of the Dead in the arcades, Namco was playing
system with technology that would have been Would the format catch on? Would the PlayStation from behind.
instantly rendered outdated by the Sega Saturn even be able to compete? So they changed tactics. Rather than
and Nintendo 64. But to Namco, Sony represented the ideal beginning another years-long development
“With great timing, Sega saved our hides,” partnership. At one point in time, sale of their cycle to outdo the Model 2, Namco based its next
Maruyama said. games on the Nintendo Entertainment System arcade board on the the PlayStation hardware,
With the number of dimensions was settled, it accounted for 40% of Namco’s revenue. But ensuring easy ports from cabinet to console. The
was time for the hard part: Securing games. This the two companies had begun to diverge, both Namco System 11 was not as powerful as Sega’s
was no small feat for a newcomer, even one as philosophically and practically. While Namco Model 2, but it was cheaper. Namco could now
big as Sony. The only two players in the console developed its System 21 arcade board using distribute its games into smaller arcades that
space — Sega and Nintendo — had been firmly 3-D technology to grab an edge in the arcades, Sega’s expensive cabinets had left behind.
established in arcades for over a decade and Nintendo stuck to its cartridge format. And even Namco provided Sony a big, established name
were dedicated to making their own first-party at 64-bits, the cartridge format was simply in software development, and Sony provided
software. The Sega board was right: Not only had not powerful enough to process the polygons Namco a way back into the console market. They
Sony never made video game hardware before, of Namco’s latest games. (Indeed, Nintendo’s were going head-to-head with Sega in a way
they had never made games before, either. decision to stick with cartridges for the SNES and Sega didn’t expect.
Sony turned instead to third party developers. the Nintendo 64 would eventually cost it other All they needed now was a Virtua Fighter of
They bought small studios like Psygnosis third party developers, including role-playing- their own.
and signed an exclusive deal with Williams game titan Squaresoft.) In order to maximize
Entertainment. These acquisitions and its profits, Namco needed to be able to release

RAVE WAR
NAMCO CHOOSES ITS FIGHTER
I
N THE DECEMBER 1994 issue of Electronic the screen rotates for the best view. Look for Kimoto went on to say: “A lot of different
Gaming Monthly, one of the biggest console it in the first quarter of ‘95.” technologies and experience was necessary to
gaming magazines in North America, there develop 3D fighting games.
was a small preview for a new fighting game Rave War, of course, was Tekken. The game “In particular, the ability to create 3D
coming from Japan in the next year. It was called was already called Tekken in Japan — literally “Iron character models and animating them required
Rave War. Fist” — a name they arrived at after the original a high level of technical skill and knowledge.
project title, Kamui, ran into trademark issues. To create realistic animation data, and create
“Namco is working hard on a brand- the technology to fluidly animate the complex
new entry in the realm of fighting games. When asked about that period in Namco’s rigging models of the characters, and to develop
Rave War’s (as out AMOA coverage stated) history, Producer Masahiro Kimoto said: ”At the the engine to handle the massive amount of
fighting style is like that of Virtua Fighter 2. time, it was right before the dawn of polygon animation data was quite a difficult task. It would
However, I found Rave War quite a bit more games, and 2D fighting games were enjoying a be fair to say the only company at the time that
fun to play. The game play mechanics, not to boom in popularity, as seen the genre’s number one could effectively do this was Sega.
mention the sheer graphic and background title Street Fighter II. It was obvious to practically “As the leading company of polygon-based
intensity, are astounding! The characters everyone that in the near future 3D fighters would game development at the time, Namco believed
have long and very interesting backgrounds. replace the currently popular 2D ones. that this era of polygon-based games would
“Rave War uses some of the same “Regarding polygon-based games, Namco continue for the next several decades. Namco
amazing technology used in their popular had led the rest of the world with new challenges also thought that regardless of the genre
Ridge Racer series. When you first start and results. Although behind, Sega had released of game, the ability to create 3D humanoid
playing the game, you immediately realize Virtua Racing, and was seeking to create a new character models with complex rigging and
just how much work was put into the game hit in the form of Virtua Fighter. Regarding use a massive amount of animation data to
play. Each character has a number of moves fighting game development, Namco had animate them is technology that would definitely
to choose from, and as they are executed, completely lost the lead to Sega.” be necessary moving forward. It was then

HISTORY
that Namco gathered its veterans and the Namco offices. Team members were
promising young developers internally, and pulled off of other project, or hired away
even recruited top talent from elsewhere to from other studios. Green employees,
proceed with the development of Tekken.” including a young man from sales named
Katsuhiro Harada, were thrown into the
deep end and expected to swim — and swim
FIGHTING THE FIGHT fast. Those who succeeded would be part
Namco may have been operating at the of Tekken Project for years to come. Those
cutting edge of entertainment technology, who did not were soon gone.
but it was still a corporation, and that meant The Tekken development team
a corporate culture. With nearly a quarter essentially spend a full year in “crunch,”
century of game development experience, industry lingo for a marathon of grueling
Namco had developed a set process. There hours to meet project deadlines. It’s a
was a “way things were done.” testament to the team’s skill that a process
But Tekken wasn’t in a position to follow so fast and chaotic would result a game that
the established route. Namco was racing to would soon make EGM say, “When you first
complete Tekken in time for the PlayStation start playing, you immediately realize how
launch; to compete with Virtua Fighter 2; much work was put into the game play.”
to re-establish the company’s arcade That review would be an extraordinary
dominance. understatement — and a sign of things to
Tekken Project was the central focus at come.
R ave War | 21

THE IRON FIST
TOURNAMENT
TEKKEN TAKES ON THE WORLD
I
N THE EARLY ‘90S, North America was CRTVmonitor. The cabinet was striking from a received rave reviews from Japanese gaming
a kit-driven arcade market. Making and distance, and gave spectators a clear view of the press and managed to keep pace with the Sega
distributing new cabinets was an expensive action from either side. Saturn, a rival CD-based console, despite the
enterprise, and with nearly two decades worth of But Tekken didn’t come kick-spinning out of Sega’s decision to “Price Is Right” Sony and launch
cabinets already in existence, it was much easier the gate. It sold fine, but the tallest coin stacks the Saturn one month earlier.
to replace games that were un- or under-used were still lined along the edge of Street Fighter There were a variety of reasons for the
and reskin their cabinets than to build a new II and Virtua Fighter 2. Few arcades had two PlayStation’s early success. The perceived
cabinet for every new title. Tekken cabinets installed back-to-back, as was newness, the selection of games. Sega had
Tekken was an exception. customary for other popular fighting games also underestimated the continued popularity
Anticipation for a new fighting game from one at the time. It was a far cry from the reception of its cartridge-based 16-bit console, the Sega
of the gaming world’s best-known brands was Namco had envisioned for its new prize product. Genesis, ended up cannibalizing sales of its
high, and so were Namco’s expected earnings. That is, until a mere four months later, when successor, the Saturn. With the Nintendo-Sega
They shelled out for an original cabinet design. Tekken was released on the Sony PlayStation. rivalry firmly established, many consumers
The title treatment stood tall — high enough The PlayStation debuted in Japan on December had already chosen a side, but Nintendo’s most
to stand out in most game centers — slanting 3, 1994 with eight launch titles. Though Tekken recent console, the Super Famicom, was over
straight up from the screen rather than curling wasn’t quite ready in time to join Namco’s Ridge four years old; and gamers were hungry for
forward to shield it. The title itself was bright Racer among the starting line-up, it came something new.
red against black, and the sides and front of the close enough to represent the beginning of A little under four months later, on March
cabinet were emblazoned with larger-than-life Namco’s new strategy: develop games for near- 31st, 1995, Tekken became available to a hungry
renderings of characters’ faces. There was an simultaneous release in arcades and on consoles, new fan base. It was the fighting game of the
extra-wide control board for two, and a 24-inch and reap the benefits of both. The PlayStation PlayStation. And it was good.

The Iron Fist Tournament | 23

HISTORY
Tekken represented a number of innovations in the game. Closed arenas did away with “ring leg. The control scheme was intuitive: easy to
the crowded fighting-game market. Unlockable outs,” (achieving victory by knocking an opposing understand, but difficult to master. And it was
characters encouraged players to play the character out of the field of play), a Virtua Fighter perfect for the PlayStation controller, with the
game through with each character and find — tactic players had decried as “cheap.” quadrant of buttons mapped on its right side.
and unlock — their favorite. And the stunning Unlike most fighting games, where buttons And then, of course, there were the 3-D
variety of fighters meant there was a character corresponded to actions like “punch” or “kick,” graphics.
for everyone. Fully rendered endings for every the four buttons of Tekken each controlled a Tekken was awarded 38 out of a possible 40
character felt like real rewards for completing different limb — right arm, left arm, right leg, left points in Famitsu Weekly, Japan’s preeminent

HISTORY

HISTORY
game magazine. The game’s popularity on the

home console immediately fed back into its
prominence at the arcade. Fans honed their
skills at home, then took their best characters
out into the wild to face friends and fellow fans.
Plus, the arcade offered bonuses you couldn’t
get at home. Despite the increased memory size
of the CD format, certain animations had to be
cut to get everything to fit. Character selection
on the arcade version, for example, would cue
a facial animation from that character, a feature
that had been cut from the PlayStation release to
minimize loading time.
In the end, the arcade-version data was
compressed to about 70% for the console
release. Still, the port was near-perfect in all
the ways that mattered. Namco’s strategy was
working brilliantly.
Despite missing the PlayStation’s launch by
four months, Tekken had become a smash hit.
And back at Namco, the Tekken team was hard at
work on a sequel.

HISTORY

ROUND 2
DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES AS TEKKEN PROJECT CAPITALIZES ON EARLY SUCCESS
T
HE MAKING OF the first two Tekken Now, with the core roster established, the Jack’s Cossack Dance, and refined other
games was essentially one continuous designs could be refined, and new characters unbeatable moves that savvy players had learned
development with a partial release and levels created with a particular look in mind. to exploit. But those fixes were superficial. To
halfway through. The process was chaotic and The team also had another year of experience give Tekken the depth of a top-tier fighting game,
inefficient. With so many people designing with the Sony development tools under their the team needed to go back to basics.
characters and trying out art styles and belts. The hardware was familiar. Masanori Doing so meant thinking hard about Tekken’s
programming systems — only for them to be Yamada had more time to work his compression characters. Why was each fighter there? Where
thrown out or overwritten by another team magic. They had everything they needed to did they come from? What had lead them to
member — the dev team barely knew what Tekken remain at the forefront of polygonal rendering. becoming a world-class fighter? Answering
was until it was released. Next — and of utmost importance — came the these questions meant further defining each
Tekken 2 was an opportunity to finish what question of game balance. character’s fighting technique, which pointed the
they’d started. “It was only around the middle of Tekken Project team back to the real world.
First, they’d work on the graphics. Despite development on Tekken 2 that we starting using They redoubled their efforts on translating
being a “next-gen” 3-D game on brand new numerical conversion and calculation,” Harada real world martial arts into Tekken. As moves and
hardware, Tekken’s visuals were the most told Edge Magazine in 2015. Before that, “we stances were grafted onto the characters. In turn,
common source of criticism from reviewers. just used our senses; there was no theory at the the characters took on new life. Their depth of
Virtua Fighter 2’s characters may have been time. In that sense, Tekken 1 isn’t really a fighting their abilities made them feel deeper as people —
blocky and unrealistic, but they at least all felt game. It should be called a human body action as if they had earned the right to be there on the
like they belonged in the same game. So many game. They have abilities, and they hit each world stage, fighting for the title of champion.
different people created characters and assets other, but it’s not really a martial arts game.” Motion capture was just a developing as
for Tekken that the game lacked a unified style. Namco did away with infinite combos like a viable technology. Everything had to be

Round 2 | 29

HISTORY
recorded with cables attached to the stunt context. Endings were nothing but satisfying
performers, so the tech wasn’t yet suited for rewards for a completed arcade-mode run. But
intense action. The results could only be used as now each of those fun little beats needed to be
reference for the animators, who had to adjust it fleshed out.
frame by frame—but the promotional department Turning the first game’s protagonist into a
still leveraged the appeal of motion-capture villain was a bold decision. Most players may
technology for marketing. not have come to fighting games for the story,
When players realized they could pull off moves but that twist established the Tekken series
that triple black belts used during while sparring at penchant for taking narrative risks at a time
their local dojo, they were hooked. when gameplay and storytelling were becoming
The manual nature of the movement tightly interwoven. Being able to play as the
refinements didn’t just mean that kicks looked first game’s villain and unlocking relatives and
better and that characters were more distinct. associates of familiar characters made Tekken’s
Collision detection was better. Lateral movement world feel dynamic and lived in. It created
was better. The team was inching ever closer to anticipation for what would come next — not just
re-creating motion in 3-D. the fight combos, but as a soap opera.
They also realized that they were building a The first version of Tekken 2 was released in
saga. The story of the first game served merely Japanese arcades in early August, 1995, a mere
to put characters and the tournament itself in four months after Tekken 1 was made available

HISTORY
on PlayStation in Japan. In North America, arcades extra incentive to get Tekken 2 out early PlayStation title to sell over a million copies,
Tekken 2 arrived in arcades in late April, 1996, and keep it running often. (There were codes and would go on to sell 5.7 million on consoles
four months after the original’s North American that could manually unlock characters, but worldwide.
PlayStation release as well. In arcades, Tekken players were left to figure them out on their own. Tekken, it had become clear, was here to stay.
2 replaced its predecessor before waning It was real-world mythmaking that only added to And that realization lead to another paradigm
popularity and profitability even became a the game’s allure.) shift inside Namco.
consideration. Namco was riding a wave, and Tekken 2 became one of the best-reviewed “That’s when the team finally sat down and
fans were riding it with them. and best-selling fighting games of all time. said, ‘Hey, this is something that might continue
The Tekken 2 cabinet featured an innovation It received a 38 out of 40 in Famitsu Weekly, for some time,’” Harada says. The rushed
that made it even more compelling: Characters equaling the original Tekken’s score. The development style of of Tekken 1 and 2 wouldn’t
were unlocked using an internal time-based PlayStation version, meanwhile, sold over 1.2 work long term.
system.The longer a cabinet ran, the more million units early after its release in Japan, It was time to rebuild Tekken from the
characters would become available, and the and just shy of a million in its first four months ground up.
more popular the machine would become, giving in North America. Tekken 2 became the first
Round 2 | 3 3

BORN IN A
DYING LAND
ARCADES ARE DISAPPEARING, BUT THEY’RE STILL ESSENTIAL FOR TEKKEN
I
N THE DECADE between 1981 and 1991, and Virtua Fighters while the popular games of think about it today. Once a game was pressed
the arcade industry in the United States yore sat idle or were replaced. Despite the dire into a disc, packaged, and sold, that was it —
plunged from an $8 billion industry to a $2 straits of the arcade industry as a whole, what glitches, balance issues, and all. Arcade cabinets
billion industry. That decline was representative little floor space remained was earmarked for were by no means easy to update, but it was at
of the world-wide trend. With Nintendo and Sega the next hot fighting game. least possible.
battling it out, the home console era had officially Despite the success of Tekken’s console “We used to have to take the flash ROM,
taken hold and what remained of arcades had sales, it would continue to be developed for DVDs, or HDDs (it was different depending on
more or less become an arms race between arcade first. This was by design. the installment) to the actual arcades and swap
the companies that remained. Sega, Midway, “A few of the bigger companies, Sega, Namco, them out,” Murray recalls. But even that was
and Namco each fought for elbow room at an Taito, had their own arcades,” says Michael easier than stomaching a mistake in a mass-
ever-shrinking table. By 1994 — when Tekken Murray, a longtime Tekken Project designer/ produced game disc.
was poised for its debut — with Sony’s new producer, and one of the team’s only American- So arcade gamers, who tended to be the
PlayStation on the horizon, things looked even born developers. “So that’s why even when fighting-game faithful, became beta testers of
more grim for arcades. Yet that was the state of arcades were in decline, we were still motivated sorts. The Tekken developers could discover
things when Tekken was set to make its debut to to provide games for our own arcades.” glitches and gather data on in-game balance,
the world. The arcade-first model also had a bit to do while continuing to improve the game before its
The one exception was fighting games. with the PlayStation release schedule, and console release.
Street Fighter II had changed the arcade Namco’s desire to generate buzz around their “As Harada often says, it’s a good way to
industry. There was an energy and a vitality new flagship title. But it had even more to do with both polish the game and recoup some of the
to playing against an opponent standing right the permanence of console releases at the time. development fees,” Murray says. “And that
beside you. Increasingly, arcade floor space was There was no downloadable content (DLC), no pattern just stayed viable for Tekken a lot longer
taken up by Street Fighters and Mortal Kombats patches, no internet — at least not in the way we than other fighting game franchises.”

HISTORY
DESPITE THE SUCCESS OF TEKKEN’S CONSOLE

SALES, IT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE DEVELOPED
FOR ARCADE FIRST. THIS WAS BY DESIGN.
Born In A Dying L and | 35

HISTORY
And to this day, every Tekken title in the core game being played by the public. Sometimes, the arcade, maybe not the stuff you imagine
series has been released as an arcade title first. an unintended element of the game goes hardcore gamers would play.
In a 2017 interview, Harada told Gamasutra unnoticed, and players might even get upset if “The arcades as we knew them aren’t there
why Tekken has continued this pattern. “We we change it after the fact. But these aspects anymore.”
don’t just wait to see videos of people playing our of game development aren’t unique to only me, Even the process of upgrading the games
game to see what they think, we can actually go it’s something that probably everyone in this has reversed itself in the era of downloadable
and watch them play the game when we want to. industry experiences.” content. Now upgrading and updating console
You can see how their body reacts, their facial But things are changing. For example, games is not only easy, it’s expected. This, in turn
expressions. Not just for Tekken 7, I always go releasing in arcades first and continuing extends the lifespan of console games, and the
and watch people play my games. development for consoles means the North length of development cycles.
“Tekken 7 is the same case, and there are even American and European markets, essential for a “It’s still an arcade game, though. So we have
more tournaments around the world this time, worldwide brand like Bandai Namco, have to wait our DLC on console; and then that DLC actually
so I have even more chances to see this directly. even longer for the game — sometimes years. makes its way back into the arcade version as well.
If there were a lot of issues with the game, the And wait little remains of the once indispensable So it’s kind of a unique situation,” Murray says.
game’s popularity in arcades wouldn’t be so high, arcade industry is in worse shape than ever. Will these changes to the market finally
this applies to the game’s popularity on consoles “Even in Japan, there’s a transition,” Murray mean the end of Tekken as an arcade-first title?
also, so it’s safe to say it is doing well. says. “You go into the arcade and see there’s Maybe. But no matter how Tekken changes in the
“However, there are a few bugs that we a lot more card-based games, a lot more of coming years, the arcade will have always been
have never seen before until we see the the print club stuff that brings a lot of girls to an essential part of its DNA.

HISTORY
Born In A Dying L and | 37

AT HOME
IN NIHON
FROM WORLD WAR II TO TEKKEN
I
N THE ERA that gave rise to Tekken, most
fighting games came from Japan — and, with
few exceptions, Japan remains the epicenter
of the genre today. Yet even among fighting
games, Tekken is uniquely Japanese.
Tekken is not only from Japan, but about
Japan. In stark contrast to Street Fighter, which
is an international fighting game by design,
filled with boiled down cultural stereotypes
brandishing their nations’ flags and battling on
stages set in each fighter’s country of origin,
Tekken is a game set in Japan, about a Japanese
family and Japanese culture.
In Tekken, Nihon is never far from the topic
at hand.
After World War II, Japan was a nation at
a crossroads. Perhaps only Germany would
undergo more change in the decades to come.
Within that change, two major challenges
awaited: Reshaping Japan’s image in the eyes of
the world, and restructuring its economy away
from war-focused enterprises. Both would come
to influence not only what Tekken was about, but
how it came to be.
ZAIBATSU
The prize for winning the first King of Iron Fist
Tournament was not only renown as the greatest
fighter in the world, but control over the Mishima
Zaibatsu, a weapons conglomerate founded
by the Mishima family and run by its patriarch,
Heihachi Mishima.
The Mishima Zaibatsu was not merely a
way to sweeten the fictional victory pot. It is a

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reflection of Japanese history. Zaibatsu were hereditary, inescapable and innate. (For Kazuya,
family-owned companies that grew into power who is inflicted by the Devil Gene, this is quite
as Japan industrialized. At the start of World literally true.)
War II, four Zaibatsu alone controlled half of all
manufacturing in the Japanese Empire. These
private companies had considerable influence ON NOTICE
over Japanese economics, and therefore, As soldiers returned from war, Japan
politics. At the risk of oversimplifying: the experienced a baby boom — a sharp uptick in
Zaibatsu had an increasing interest in expanding population and new families. Those children
their industries, and war created a widespread, then grew up and had children of their own. In
unified need for that growth. Selling weapons the 1970s — around the time Katsuhiro Harada
— and a war in which to use them — became was born — there were more children in Japan
profitable. than there had been at any other time in the
The Zaibatsu were dynastic and almost nation’s history.
beyond reproach, towering industrial and “There was a lot of competition to get into
cultural edifices that held the power to shape schools,” Harada recalls. “Because we all had to
Japan’s future. take the same tests to get in.”
In the aftermath of the second World But for Harada, there was always a degree
War, most zaibatsu were dissolved. Under of separation between the competition and
Allied occupation, the centralized private the result. As much as he and all of the other
influence of the zaibatsu was seen as students were pitted against one another for
inherently undemocratic. Assets were seized, limited spots in the best schools, they weren’t
holding companies dissolved, and industries really rivals—they were in competition against
nationalized. themselves. Training meant intense studying and
Still, the shadow of the zaibatsu loomed large success meant passing tests. “Winning” could
over Japanese economics and culture. mean that you’d indirectly taken a spot from
The idea that a powerful family could build another prospective student, but you’d never
itself up into not only an imposing economic know who. You’d never see the look on her face.
force, but one that controlled every level of Like most Japanese parents, Harada’s
production and even possessed the means of emphasized the importance his studies. And to
influencing policy, can be traced back to feudal ensure their son’s focus, they forbade him from
Japan. Despite its grim real-world outcome, that playing video games. Without a console to play
image remainsinspiring. And it all begins with at home, Harada did what any focused student
two things just about everybody has: family, and would: he snuck out to the arcade.
the will to succeed. But even the golden age of arcade games did
Heihachi Mishima had both; and he was not provide a respite from the rigors of academic
nothing if not driven:an imposing figure, both competition — on the contrary, they became
literally and figuratively; a man so unflinchingly an extension of it. In that era, games rarely
cruel that he threw his own son off a cliff to provided any head-to-head combat. Instead,
prove a point. His Mishima Zaibatsu is one of players competed in parallel; a battle between
the most powerful corporations in Tekken’s player and the game, in hopes of reaching the
world. He even has the look of a villain — hulking leaderboard, where your initials would be proof
shoulder muscles, devil-horn spikes of hair, and that you’d beaten those who had come before
an ever-present sneer. That’s no coincidence: you. Only so many spots in the best schools; only
Heihachi is a Japanese depiction of a Japanese so many slots on the leaderboard.
interpretation of how World War II-era Japan In Japan, there is a social construct of
was seen by the rest of the world. respecting one’s superiors. The superior, or
“Heihachi is everyone’s image of Japan during elder, is known as senpai. Senpai literally means,
World War II,” says Harada. “That was a concept “earlier colleague”: someone older and more
that was forged early on inside the team.” experienced. A senpai holds dominion over his
This concept becomes even more interesting kohai (literally “later colleague”), who looks up
when it’s extended to Heihachi’s son, Kazuya to and defers to his senpai as a student would to
Mishima. Kazuya, who started in the original a tutor or an athlete to a team captain.
Tekken as a protagonist looking for revenge Or, say, a son to a father.
against his evil father, became the villain This kind of top-down social relationship
of Tekken 2 and the series beyond. Kazuya is prevalent throughout Japanese culture,
embodies Japan’s boomer generation, struggling particularly in schools. But the expectation
to escape the evils of the generation that came of absolute deference to one’s elders fell in
before — but who fears that those evils may be direct conflict with Japan’s struggle to rebuild
At Home In Nihon | 41

Exclusive artwork for a magazine cover

HISTORY
itself after the war. Questioning the past was 7 displayed across arena-sized screens for
becoming necessary. the World Championships in San Francisco,
The struggle of the Mishima clan and the story California. After breaking an opponent’s throw,
of Tekken itself is about the struggle to invert a Jack-7 player stepped back and taunted his
the power structures of tradition. The characters opponent before delivering the killing blow.
— like Kazuya — either end up feeding back into The crowd loved it.
them, or — like Jin, perhaps — find a way to break Harada did, too.
from them. “Things like that, the taunts — things that
might seem like they’re meant to make your
opponent angry, I chose to implement that way
SET SAIL on purpose,” he says. “Because it’s not supposed
Unable to spend all of his time at the arcade, to be, ‘Hey, let’s get along and play and have fun
and less interested in academic pursuits, together.’”
Harada committed himself to athletics, sailing in As a kid in Japan in the late ‘70s and early
particular. ‘80s, if you didn’t get into a particular school, you
“But it wasn’t a loose group of people hanging weren’t in attendance. If you didn’t achieve a high
out, enjoying the game,” Harada explains. “The score, your initials would not be displayed in the
competition was very fierce.” The same pressure Galaga cabinet. Losing was reduced to absence.
he and the other kids felt to succeed at their Harada wanted to bring the sting of losing to
studies boiled over into sport. Practice wasn’t the fore.
camaraderie — it was cutthroat. That part, at Harada wanted to bring back a feeling
least, Harada enjoyed. suppressed since the end of World War II.
Yet there was something that still nagged Harada wanted to win.
at him. Out on the water, even in a race, the
competition wasn’t about the other boats. It
was a race between him and the water: yet
another competition against himself. Another PRACTICE WASN’T
leaderboard. All of it side-stepped what Harada
really wanted — which was to win and crow. To CAMARADERIE —
embarrass a rival and relish his own victory.
Years later, in 2017, Harada reflected on IT WAS CUTTHROAT.
this feeling as exhibition matches of Tekken
At Home In Nihon | 4 3

CONTINUE? B
Y EARLY 1996, Sony’s PlayStation had
becoming the undisputed leader of the
console generation. It had hit the sweet
spot. It had nearly a year and a half to build its
market share before Nintendo could introduce its
TEKKEN REBOOTS FOR THE LONG HAUL next console, which was being developed under
the codename “Ultra 64.” It had handily defeated
its most direct competitor — and the only other
CD-based console on the market — the Sega
Saturn. The PlayStation’s impressive lineup of
third party games attracted more buyers, which
in turn attracted more third party developers.
Once Nintendo’s next console was released,
Sega was the odd man out.
Namco’s gamble had paid off. Company
revenues doubled for three consecutive years
— eclipsing even the Pac-Man boom years — and
unit sales volume grew eightfold over four
years. In just two games, Tekken had become
such a success that Namco began development
of another fighting game, the weapons-based
Soul Edge, the first game in the Soulcalibur
series.
Soon, Tekken Project would have two new
leaders in Masahiro Kimoto and Katsuhiro
Harada.
“The ‘big accident’ happened while developing
Tekken 3,” Harada-san says of the beginnings
of his long career. “At that time, Japanese game
companies scrambled for developers in the
industry, and many from Tekken Project left
Namco. It was intense. Numerous people left
the company, and the office was very quiet.
Then, I created the strangely named position,
Game Director, and took that position for myself.
I became the first to be noted in the credits as
Game Director in the industry.”
For Harada, who had begun his career
at Namco in sales, this was bold, but not
uncharacteristic. In Harada’s first year at the
company, he had broken the all-time arcade
cabinet sales record four months in a row. The
feat had earned him the respect of Nakamura-
san himself. Harada leveraged this by inserting
himself into the Tekken team. Though he lacked
an impressive resume or programming expertise,
he made up for those gaps with shrewdness and
big ideas.
“While creators and programmers had lead
development of games then, I did gather static
data of users’ feedback and analyze them, and
gave reasons and concepts to every spec. This
method was totally new at 90’s and by doing this,
I succeeded in convincing programmers, artists,
sound designers, and planners.
“Since the reasons were clear and I was
confident in my leadership, I had improved
projects. And, this method contributed to changes
in how to develop games then,” Harada says.
4 4 | THE A R T OF TEK K EN: A COMPL E TE V ISUA L HIS TORY

Continue? | 4 5

HISTORY
Tekken 3 characters initial design
He also relished the exhausting nature of those that Tekken fans had grown to love. To “We actually had most of the control of the
high-stakes development. perfect the 3-D movement of their fighters, they project. The company didn’t really oversee it that
“It was so much fun to work in 1990s because threw out the old code. much. It was actually kind of a venture project.
it was a period full of discovery. Nobody wanted “I started to do a lot of rewriting of the So we’ve always pretty much had control over it,”
to go back home,” jokes Harada-san. “At that scripting that controls the animation of the Harada says.
time, there was superior ‘future’ equipment in characters and the moves,” Harada says. “So To fill in the gaps left by departing team
the office. I lived under the desk. This was our a lot of elements of the game were actually members, Namco recruited straight from
everyday life.” renewed or recreated from close to scratch.” universities — and not necessarily from game-
He and Kimoto took charge. Any broken relic was discarded. Anything related disciplines.
The internal changes at Namco would be imperfect was remade from the first line of code. Artist Yoshinari Mizushima, for example,
reflected in the development of Tekken 3. Anything that worked before would make it impressed Namco with his knack for designing
“Until then we were kind of chasing after through to the final product on its own merits. characters that looked modern, yet iconic. He
Street Fighter, because they were the biggest How did Harada convince the money people to would help develop the visual consistency
fighting game at the time. But then we realized be so adventurous with a series that had become Harada had yearned for in the previous games.
that that’s probably not the best case for a 3-D so financially important for the company? He left Characters like Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu were
fighting game. So rather than building upon 1 them no choice. the kind of simple yet instantly recognizable
and 2, we decided to start over at 3.” “I continuously said, ‘Please do what I say. I designs that would carry Tekken for decades. Old
Tekken not only stopped chasing Street will make it possible to catch up and overtake designs, like those of Yoshimitsu, Heihachi, and
Fighter, it broke from Virtua Fighter as well. It other fighting games,’” Harada recalls for a post Nina, were updated. Everyone looked like they
was a true paradigm shift. on the official PlayStation blog in 2017. came from the same weird version of our world.
“[It] was to destroy everything you’ve done He was a salesman, after all. In the age of the PlayStation, the importance
and start again.” And to hear Harada tell it, there wasn’t much of Tekken’s character designs could not be
The team’s first decision was to leave the interference from the suits anyway. It wasn’t just overstated. Without a robust first-party lineup
franchise behind, both figuratively and literally. that he had clout with Mr. Nakamura, though that of its own, Sony was without a mascot like Mario
The game’s plot leapt 19 years into the future. was still true; it was more that they recognized or Sonic. And this was part of its appeal. It was
This allowed them to soft-reboot the story with that Tekken was still something new, and that more “grown up.” Still, mascots were important
new characters — offspring and apprentices, they needed to trust in their team to develop their as shorthand for the kind of brand recognition
as well as brand-new fighters — while keeping own process. that helped sell games and consoles.

HISTORY So like the PlayStation brand — whose brand was built on the collective
strength of its game library — its mascot gallery became a hodgepodge of
standout characters from standout games.
Heihachi and Kazuya, with their trademark pointy hair and perpetual
scowls, were strong candidates, but it was Jin — flames on his pants, studs
on red gloves, and slightly less ridiculous hair — who would become an
unofficial Sony mascot for years to come.
Despite being new at his job, Harada didn’t make things easy for
Mizushima.
“Not all employees had any skills of 3-D CG, they usually learned after
getting in the company. Mr. Mizushima had the most advanced skills, but I
would always throw cold water on his design,” Harada says. “As a result, he
showed his sense at team building. He was really good at organizing a CG
development team.”
In other words, rather than becoming discouraged by Harada’s criticisms,
Mizushima developed other skills. He was not only able to design, but to get
what he wanted out of his art team.
The game took advantage of Mizushima’s character designs by
highlighting them an opening movie that sent adrenaline coursing through
players’ veins. The “Embu” video was more or less a tech demo in disguise. It
begins with Hwoarang, one of the game’s new characters, showing off some
of his taekwondo prowess. Other fighters are intercut, executing some of
their best moves. For players, it’s an exciting preview: fighters they might
choose and moves they’ll attempt to execute.
A different process yielded different results. Tekken 3 could not, Harada
learned the hard way, have it all. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth trying.
Next came the conversion from arcade to console. The process that had
served the team so well during the first two games was slower and more
painful this time. Tekken 3 was the first game developed on the Namco
System 12 arcade board, the successor to the System 11. But while the
arcade hardware had grown more powerful, the PlayStation hardware had
remained more or less the same. It meant that in addition to balance tweaks
and gameplay polishes, porting Tekken 3 to console meant losing more of
the original game than Tekken and Tekken 2 had suffered. Animations were
more heavily compressed. Polygons were lost. Beautiful fully-rendered 3-D
backgrounds were remade as 2-D panoramas.
“When I transferred the data from arcade to home version, I was mentally
exhausted,” Harada recalls for the PlayStation blog. “If the arcade was 100%,
we had to compress animation data it to 8-15%. I was getting really nervous,
thinking ‘We can’t sell it by just only this quality, what should we do?’”
The process took almost a year. But Harada’s nerves over the conversion
proved unwarranted. Players were willing to accept a dip in visual quality in
order to have the arcade experience readily accessible in their living rooms.
On March 27, 1998, Harada woke up and went to work like any other day.
Then he arrived at Namco Corporate Headquarters and learned that Tekken
3 had sold over 1 million copies — in its first day. Tekken 3 was a bonafide
phenomenon.
The game would go on to sell 8.3 million copies worldwide, second only
to Super Smash Bros. Brawl among fighting games to date. Some still point
to it as the pinnacle of the series, and of the genre.
“Everything was full of discovery in the game industry and the fighting
game industry,” Harada says. “It was the passionate age. I could see only
hopes and dreams in those days.”
Little did he know he would spend the next 20 years living those
dreams out.

HISTORY
Continue? | 49

TEKKEN TAG
TOURNAMENT
A NEW APPROACH FOR A NEW CONSOLE
T
EKKEN 3 was done. Harada and the core
team members took a well-deserved trip
to Hawaii. The group vacation was paid for
by the team members themselves. It was “cheap,
but a very good experience” according to Harada.
By the time they returned home, Tekken 3
had sold over a million units in Japan, and 4.2
million units worldwide in just a few months.
For his efforts, Harada was awarded a bonus of
about $5,000.
“When I tell this to people in Western game
industry, they’re very surprised and say, “Why is
it so cheap?” Because it was more than 20 years
ago, and I didn’t complain,” Harada says.
“Although 1.33 million units had been sold
in Japan, we didn’t take it as special. Project
staff are young and since we didn’t take the
Westernized view that developers of famous
titles could gain huge incentives, our salaries
were on a monthly basis, and didn’t change much
from other months. Our situation did not change.”
In other words, it was time to get back to work.
Meanwhile, rumors swirled that Sony was
working on a new console, a successor to the
now industry-dominant PlayStation. Though it
was not yet known when the new console would
be released or what it would look like, reports as
early as 1997 spoke of built-in DVD players and
modems for online play.
The rumors, of course, were true, and the
prospect of a new console left Namco with a
decision to make: Develop its next Tekken title for
the original PlayStation, with a much larger user
base but dated technology, or develop for the
PlayStation 2, selling to a fraction of the customers
but remaining at gaming’s cutting edge.
They chose the latter.
Tekken had already become synonymous with
the PlayStation brand, and a new game available
at launch would further cement that status. It
was an opportunity. The new game could be of its console, the new Tekken would never same 32-bit boards as Tekken 3. Tekken Tag
used to show off the impressive power of the be ready in time. It would also jeopardize the Tournament was released in Japanese arcades in
PlayStation 2’s “Emotion Engine,” and — arm- lifecycle on which the Tekken Project had come July of 1999 on the System 12 board. Then it was a
in-arm — they would be unveiled to the world to depend — release a game in arcades as a sort of sprint to prepare a tech demo for the PlayStation
together at the Tokyo Game Show in 1999. unofficial beta test, and continue to fine-tune for 2’s unveiling at Tokyo Game Show that September,
There was only one problem: The PlayStation the console release over the following year. and for console launch in early March of 2000.
2 didn’t exist yet. Instead, they did both. The “next-generation It was a difficult juggle, but the improved
If Namco waited for Sony to finish development Tekken” was developed for arcades using the technology of the new console made the team

Tekken Tag Tournament | 51

HISTORY
feel as though the shackles had been taken off.

Gone were the days of down-rezzing for the
console release, or recreating 3-D backgrounds
in 2-D. In fact, the opposite was true. Even with
a tight schedule and the lack of familiarity with
the new technology, the team was able to take
Tekken graphics to new heights. The tech demo
wowed on the TGS stage. And once the game was
in the hands of critics, gamers were salivating for
the PS2.
Here’s Prince Paul of Gamepro in early 2000:
“Visually, Tekken on the PS2 blows its

arcade parent away with sharper graphics and
smoother character polygons. The characters
in the early version were loaded with details
right down to the variety of their garbs. The
fighting backgrounds were also astounding-
especially Eddy Gordo’s stage where you
could see individual blades of grass!”
Tekken and PlayStation remained a match

made in polygonal heaven.
Graphics aside, the team decided that a new
system warranted new ideas.
In 2-D fighting games, tag team mechanics
were already common. The premise was simple:
rather than a single fighter, players chose a pair
of them. Though battles were still fought one-
on-one, the second fighter could be called upon,
or tagged in, to change the tide of battle. In 1995,
ADK released Kizuna Encounter for the Neo-Geo,
in which tag mechanics operated similarly to
professional wrestling. Players needed to be in
a certain area of the arena, color coded to their
team, in order to tag in another fighter. Keeping
opponents away from their tag zone added an
extra layer of strategy to the fights. Over the next
few years, Capcom would popularize 2-D tag
fighters with their X-Men vs. Street Fighter and
Marvel vs. Capcom games. In those, a tag area
was not designated. The other fighter on your
team could be called in at any time and would
enter the battlefield with a flying kick or combo
attack. This made the tag element more dynamic
and chaotic, but also more prone to abuse as a
source of relentless combos.
Once again, Tekken found itself chasing
Street Fighter. But, once again, what seemed
like a simple concept in two dimensions was
exponentially more difficult to implement in three.
Figuring out how and from where the other
fighter would tag in was the first challenge to
overcome. Rather than tagging in from a physical
space in the arena like Kizuna Encounter, which
would limit tags, or having a teammate fly in
mid-attack like Marvel vs. Capcom, which would

HISTORY
TEKKEN AND PLAYSTATION

REMAINED A MATCH MADE
IN POLYGONAL HEAVEN.
make tags instantaneous and too unpredictable
in a 3-D environment, the Tekken team made
the brilliant decision to have tagged fighters
run in from off-screen toward their opponent.
This meant a player could initiate a tag, start a
combo, and finish just as the other fighter tagged
in to continue juggling the opponent. Certain
throws could also initiate a tag automatically.
These mechanics not only allowed for interesting
fighting strategies, they also allowed both
players to anticipate the arrival of the new fighter.
Tekken Tag Tournament (or TTT) offered one
more small but significant refinement to the
tag fighting format. Victory was achieved when
either of the two fighters on a team ran out of
life meter. In other tag games, both fighters on
a team had to be defeated. This made tagging
strategic. It wasn’t simply one match made
bigger. Tagging out could save your life, tagging
in an injured character became more risky.
Your life bar was only as strong as your weakest
character — a true team.
To emphasize this, players could also activate
“Netsu Power” in desperate situations. If a
fighter was in danger of dying, tagging out would
give the other fighter a bonus damage. Netsu
Power could easily turn the tide of battle; a
dramatic system that would become a precursor
to Tekken 7’s Rage Arts.
Tag also represented the first non-canonical
Tekken sequel. No number meant no need to
worry about canon or continuity. Almost every
fighter from the first three Tekken games was
included — a way of playfully looking back while
the franchise looked forward. Only the original
Jack, King (the first), Dr. Bosconovitch, Marshall
Law, and Gon failed to make the cut.
The game was one of the most popular PS2
launch titles. But Tekken Tag Tournament wasn’t
an endpoint. It was an investment. The tradeoff
for their visually impressive next-gen game
was selling to a much smaller audience of new
console owners than they ever had before. To
make the investment pay off, Harada and the
team would have to be ready with a new game as
quickly as possible.
This time, there would be no vacation to
Hawaii.
Tekken Tag Tournament | 5 3

TEKKEN 4
A DESTRUCTIBLE ENVIRONMENT
D
ESPITE HIS larger-than-life reputation Tekken 4 represented yet another opportunity the PlayStation 2 launch, Nintendo’s GameCube
and comparisons to Yoshinori Ono of to reinvent the franchise: the type of opportunity and Microsoft’s Xbox joined the fray, and the “sixth
Street Fighter, or Hideo Kojima,of Metal Harada had come to relish. Though Tag generation” of console gaming was in full swing.
Gear Solid, when you talk to Katsuhiro Harada, Tournament was the first Tekken game on the But in many ways, 4 was Tekken Project’s
you’ll find he’s down to earth.. Still, he is a man PlayStation 2, it was not a “pure” Tekken game, first crack at the next-gen hardware. Due to the
who believes his own hype. Which — given that in the way the world had come to know the development timeline, Tag had been developed
Harada has dedicated over 20 years of his life to franchise: intense one-on-one combat, oozing on the same 32-bit board as Tekken 3 and then
one game franchise — is Tekken’s hype as well. Mishima Clan soap-opera drama, displayed souped up for home console release. This time
In the many interviews he gives to gaming through mind-blowing graphics. Tag had been a the team had a new arcade board: the System
publications, Harada is still very much a salesman. stunning graphical display for Namco and Sony 246. Like the System 11 and 12 before it, which
He frequently references sales numbers of specific at its TGS debut, but — like all first-generation had been modeled after the original PlayStation
Tekken games and the series as a whole (almost PS2 games — it barely scratched the surface of hardware, the 246 board was based on the
47 million, by the way). He isn’t shy about pointing the new console’s full power. And there was more hardware of the PlayStation 2.
out that Tekken has surpassed Street Fighter in competition than ever to stand out. Polygonal Though the team had just rebuilt the series
terms of raw sales. He wants you to see Tekken graphics, once a Tekken claim to fame, were now graphics from the first polygon with Tekken 3,
how he sees it — in his mind, how it really is. everywhere. Not only that, but six months after they would do so again for its direct sequel. New

Tekken 4 | 55

HISTORY
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE

SERIES, ARENA ENVIRONMENTS
BECAME INTERACTIVE.
YOU COULD KICK AN OPPONENT
THROUGH A WALL, OR CHUCK
THEM AT A TELEPHONE BOOTH.
physics, new textures and lighting effects, new increased importance of walls, designers also new changes. They found the destructible
environments — graphical upgrades that pushed implemented a “switch maneuver,” which — environments to be a gimmick that distracted
the limits of the PS2 hardware. with proper timing — shoves the opponent in a from the core gameplay. They also found that
New environments. Harada and the team chosen direction (something like a grab). the more realistic movement of characters felt
quickly realized that there was more to their Another experimental wrinkle was that fighters slower. This lead to the discovery that quick jabs
new graphics engine than a pretty face. It could now move around before the start of the were disproportionately strong, which meant
offered them the opportunity to experiment match. Did you want to begin the match in your that some characters — those who emphasized
with Tekken’s gameplay as well. For the opponent’s grill, or gain extra distance to prepare defense or kicks — were disproportionately weak.
first time in the series, arena environments your defenses and plan your entry of attack? Now This imbalance was most evident at the
became interactive. You could kick an you could. This didn’t have a huge impact on match highest levels of competition. Almost every top
opponent through a wall, or chuck them at results, but it was a new feature all the same. player mained Jin — not necessarily because they
a telephone booth. Being pinned to the wall Tekken 4 was released to the kinds of rave wanted to, but because it was foolish not too.
took on a more dynamic set of consequences reviews to which Harada and Namco had grown In pushing the series forward, parts of
depending on the arena and the placement accustomed. But this time, the fanfare did not last. Tekken’s foundation, like an emphasis on
of destructible obstacles. To counteract the Longtime fans pushed back against the balance, had been left behind.

HISTORY
Tekken 4 | 57

HISTORY

HISTORY
Even the upgraded graphics came with improvement, the rebirth, the next-gen leap.
growing pains. The PS2 hardware had limited Tekken 4 felt like any other sequel.
RAM (Random Access Memory), which could Was it all of the small changes, all of the little
otherwise be expanded on a PC or, say, an missteps, adding up to something fans did not
arcade board. To get the graphics to run enjoy? Or was there something deeper at play,
properly required complicated compression something more disconcerting: After four games
that presented a steep learning curve for all in seven years, were people just tired of Tekken?
developers — not just Namco. For Harada, who has each of his game’s sales
“At that time, the memory of PS2 hardware figures memorized, the proof was in the pudding.
doesn’t have enough space, and “compress” Tekken 4 represented a series low in terms of
technology used for Tekken 4 wasn’t good, sales. Despite many million more PlayStation 2s
and when you watch carefully, characters are selling between Tag Tournament and Tekken 4 —
shaking in the screens,” says Kei Kudo, who which in theory meant a larger consumer base on
would become Lead Programmer after joining the best-selling console in history, Tekken 4 sold
the team for Tekken 5. fewer copies than Tag Tournament. Fine for most
Tekken 4 was still a good game. The early games, but not for Tekken.
reviews can attest to that. And for many, Even after five Tekken games — three since
especially those who found the series with 4, taking on the role of series director — Harada had
it is still beloved. But it was not the giant leap a lot to learn. To fix what ailed the franchise, he
forward that each of the preceding games in would need to look not forward to the future of
the series had represented. The original, the Tekken, but back at what had carried it this far.
AFTER FOUR GAMES IN SEVEN YEARS,

WERE PEOPLE JUST TIRED OF TEKKEN?
Tekken 4 | 59

TALKING
THE TALK
WRAPPING YOUR EARS AROUND TEKKEN’S DENSE LINGO
I
F YOU’RE STREAMING or attending a jargon, it can be a lot to take in, not unlike trying
Tekken tournament for the first time, you’ll to watch a new sport for the first time. There are
find yourself struggling to master a whole rules, players, clocks, strategies. Ultimately,
new vocabulary. understanding what’s going on “comes from
exposure,” according to Scott.
“Down-back one.” But there is an accessible shorthand to
“Oh, a three plus four.” Tekken lingo. Just a handful a key terms can
“With the cancel!” exponentially increase your understanding of the
“PUNISH!” frantic commentator banter.
Tekken has a four-button layout, perfectly
“It’s like a different language,” says Steve suited to the PlayStation controller or traditional
“Tasty” Scott, a prominent American Tekken arcade cabinet. Each button corresponds to a
commentator. different limb: left arm, right arm, left leg, right
With dozens of characters, each with leg. Moving around the controller from top to
hundreds of moves—many of which with their bottom, left to right, Tekken players assign each
own abbreviations—plus esoteric community button a number for easy reference.
1 LEFT PUNCH
2 RIGHT PUNCH
4 RIGHT KICK
3 LEFT KICK

Looking to brush up on your Tekken lingo?
Below is a glossary of some of the series’ most
common phrases, bound to make your next
tournament experience sound a lot less alien.
ACTIVE FRAMES
The time (measured in frames) when a move’s
damage actually gets inflicted on the opponent.
Normally, moves only have a one-frame interval
but some moves will have bigger active frame
window, which can affect other properties of an
attack, depending on the situation.
BOUNCE
An attack that slams your opponent in the floor,
making them “bounce” and letting you continue
the combo.
BROKEN
1. Refers to moves that have been nullified
by specific actions (i.e. throw-breaking or
chickening).
2. A word that is used for moves that are
popularly considered either too weak or too
overpowered.
CANCEL
The act of cancelling a move in order to regain
mobility or extend a combo. (For example, a
backdash cancel, or a sidestep cancel.)
CHICKEN
1. A move that prevents a reversal.
2. A word that is used when a player reverses a
opponent’s reversal. This is an homage to a bug
in earlier Tekken games, in which the announcer
says “Chicken!” under those circumstances.
COUNTER/COUNTERHIT
Hitting your opponent when they’re still
starting an attack. Countering causes higher
damage output on your attack and can generate
All further gameplay is built from that Aris “Avoiding the Puddle” Bakhtanians, one
additional factors in your favor, depending on
your attack. foundation. Attacks are made and modified with of the most recognizable faces in the North
those buttons, in conjunction with movement American Tekken scene, thinks commentators
CROUCH CANCEL on the joystick (up, down, forward, back) or should avoid jargon.
Pressing FF when on crouch status to be able to intermediate directions (up-forward, up-back, “It’s really better to say what [the move] is
perform normal moves more quickly. Very useful down-forward, down-back). In combination, rather than how to do it. In fact, I think it’s really
in juggles. you end up with phrases like “down-back one,” a good idea to try and avoid even saying how to
which register instantly with the seasoned do it. Either you say the name of the move, or if
CRUSH Tekken player. you don’t know the name of the move, make up
Characteristic of moves that are invincible to Of course, there are numerous other slang a move name for it — if you’re not going to make
a specific kind of attack in a certain frame or terms to describe nuances of the game. “One up a move name for it, last resort, say what it
frames. plus three” and “two plus four” describe throws does. ‘Goes for the mid,’ or ‘Goes for a mid out
executed with specific combinations of buttons. of crouch.’ It’s just a lot better,” Aris says on his
EAT / ATE And there are literally dozens of one, two, and stream.
To get hit directly by a move. three-letter abbreviations for specific moves “Up-forward three,” for example, is a
and stances of specific characters. description of how you execute the move — not
FLOORBREAK Like the game itself, it’s easy to pick up, but what it does. In other words, it doesn’t describe
When the opponent gets spiked through a
difficult to master. what you’re seeing or how it might affect the
breakable floor, bringing both combatants into a
different part of the stage. Useful in combos. So what’s a commentator to do? Appeal match.
to the masses, or show off the depths of their Not all commentators agree.
Tekken knowledge? Though he prides himself on his ability to

break things down in layman’s terms, Steve culture, that’s the scene that I played in. They
FOXSTEP
A move that can be performed facing either
Scott thinks using the lingo is the only way say, why don’t you just say ‘one plus two,’ or
towards or away from opponent.
to account for everything that’s happening ‘three plus four’? Because I don’t want to. It’s
in a Tekken match. And making things a little so embedded in the culture. I can go back to St.
FRAME / FRAMERATE
difficult to grasp has benefits, too, he argues. Louis and talk to my friends about Tekken no A unit of time used for accurately measuring
“The minute any sort of basic understanding problem.” game-related speeds. Tekken currently runs at
happens, my job is done,” Scott says. “But if you Even Aris would agree with that. He’s 60 frames per second.
say, hey, I want to learn what he’s talking about credited with incorporating Japanese phrases
in a little more depth — I feel like part of my job into English Tekken commentary, despite FREE HIT
is to make that appealing.” commentating for a Western audience. A move that is sure to land when executed at the
For him, jargon is a tool to draw new players “I happen to be a really big fan of Japanese proper moment.
into the game, not keep them away. commentary, and I’ve been listening to it for
But even if all commentators could agree on years. Since I was young I’ve known that ‘nage’ GETUP KICK
the preferred complexity of their vocabulary, means throw. They’d yell it, too. Get hype about Any kick performed from any knockdown
they haven’t all agreed on the jargon itself.. it,” Aris says. Using “nage” when a player pulls position.
“Instead of one plus two, I say twelve. off a throw is his way of showing respect for
Instead of three plus four, I say thirty-four,” Japanese commentators. GROUND GAME (OKIZEME / OKI)
The art of beating the hell out of an opposing
Scott says. This is not how you’ll hear most “Onuki is my favorite,” he says. Shinya “Nuki”
character who is lying on the ground.
commentators use the shorthand. “People Onuki is one of the most respected Japanese
make fun of that lingo, but it all came from the fighting game personalities — though he
I(MOVE NAME)
“Instant (move name),” a move that must be
performed as fast as possible.
I(NUMBER)
The number of frames a move takes at its fastest
possible execution speed.
JAIL / IN JAIL
A move property where a combination locks the
opponent into a blocking state after the first
blocked hit, regardless subsequent attempts to
move, duck, evade, or attack.
JUGGLE
The art and practice of hitting an opponent such
that they remain airborne.
JUGGLE STARTER / LAUNCHER

A move or a combination of moves that gets
the opponent into the air and sets them up for a
juggle.
MASHER
Someone who randomly hits buttons without any
idea of proper gameplay.
MIX-UP
A series of moves available that allow players to
vary combos to keep their opponents guessing.
MIRROR MATCH
A fight where both players use the same
character.
NATURAL COMBO
A move string that is sure to hit the opponent if
the move that precedes it connects properly.
Talking The Talk | 6 3

PARLOR TRICKS primarily commentates for Street Fighter. smalltalk with those people. You’ve gotta be
Deceptive setups that have major counters or
“I don’t even know what he’s saying,” Aris able to bullshit hot air, hot air, nonstop” Aris
defensive holes. Parlor tricks can catch even
highly competent opponents off guard from adds. “But that’s what makes him so amazing.” emphasizes. “Honestly, I have a lot of practice.
time to time, but their glaring weaknesses make Like your favorite basketball play-by-play All I do is I talk, and I stream to myself in an
overuse risky. announcer, each commentator has his or her empty room,” he says, referring to his almost
own approach and style. The important thing daily online streams.
PARRY for most of them is to keep their energy high Scott and Aris have co-commentated plenty
A move that deflects an opponent’s attack to and the viewers engaged. of times. For both of them, commentating has
give you a momentary advantage, in terms of Sometimes achieving great commentary changed a lot over the years.
either positioning or timing. is a simple matter of having the right co- “It’s become very serious,” Aris says. “It’s
commentator: a “color guy” and a “play-by-play like a job. You get a boss, you gotta shake that
POKE guy,” just like the duos you see on televised boss’s hand, and they expect you to bring the
To do minor damage to an opponent, usually for sports. heat.
the purposes of hit-and-run tactics, disrupting
“If my co-commentator is somebody that I “But if you do it enough, at least for me,
combos, or setting up for bigger-damage moves.
know and that I’ve known for a long time, before whenever I get nervous, I just think to myself
I even start talking to him I can know what to — don’t worry about it. And I don’t. And I just sit
PUMMEL
expect. Anybody that I know, it’s easy to do down and talk shit and it’s good times.”
Performing combos in conjunction with walls.
PUNISH
To hit an opponent who is unable to resist or
counter. Usually takes place after certain moves
are blocked or whiffed
PUSHBACK
Property of moves that “push back” a blocking
opponent.
RECOVERY / RECOVERY FRAMES

Time required before the animation of a move
ends and the character is allowed to perform
another move.
REVERSAL
A maneuver that enables you to grab an
opponent’s limb during his move and perform a
fancy throw animation, damaging your opponent.
SABAKI
A move that auto-reverses certain attacks
during its animation.
SAFE
A move that will not yield free hits when blocked.
SET-UP
A series of moves designed to confuse and guide
your opponent into doing exactly what you want
them to do, usually to render them vulnerable to
launchers or powerful moves.
SPAM
To repeat a move again and again.
SPIKE
A downward attack from a juggle that throws
your opponent into the ground with significant
force, preventing to tech rolls.

TAUNT
A character move that does nothing but mock an
opponent.
TECH CATCH
A juggling set-up designed to re-launch your
opponent and/or give you free damage if they
tech-roll.
TECH TRAP
1. A mix-up forced upon an opponent as they
tech-roll, taking advantage of the fact that they
can only block, which provides the attacker with
the freedom to perform a mid/low mix-up.
2. Sometimes used in the definition of [tech
catch].
TECH ROLL
A special move performed when a character is
hit by a move that knocks them up in the air (not
exclusive to launchers). A tech roll can reduce
the damage the character sustains or return
them to a standing position more quickly.
TENSTRING
A term that refers to Tekken characters’ ten-hit
movestrings.
THROW / NAGE
A move that throws an opponent.
TURTLE
A play style that emphasizes defensive tactics.
WAKE UP
1. To stand up from the ground.
2. The art of standing up from the ground while
avoiding as much damage as possible.
WALL CARRY
A move or series of moves, usually in a juggle,
designed to bring the opposing player nearer to
the wall.
WALL JUMP
A special move performed against a wall, usually
a fancy flip or attack. Mostly used to dodge an
“
opponent attack and corner them against a wall.
It’s like a
WALL SPLAT
Occurs when a character “sticks” and gets
stunned against the wall due to moves that
drives him/her there or carry them there.
different
language.
— STEVE “TASTY” SCOTT
” Talking The Talk | 65

TEKKEN 5
BUILDING A REPUTATION
A
FTER THE RELEASE of Tekken 4, reevaluate his life’s priorities. Stepping outside of The Walden Galleria is the biggest mall in
Harada left Namco. the rigorous Tekken development cycle for the first Buffalo, New York. In the food court, nestled
“Namco was a company sharing ups time offered him some much-needed perspective. between the Subway and the chain Japanese
and downs. For example, although development “In the ‘90s, my boss at the time told me, restaurant, there used to be an arcade: a small,
teams of library and middleware wouldn’t ‘When the situation is bad, you have to support dark corner of the mall that went unnoticed by
generate profits, Tekken projects had covered others, so when your situation is bad, others will most mall patrons, even Nordstrom employees
those research and human resource costs,” support you. That’s one of the reasons why we’re and elderly mall walkers. There was a claw
Harada says of the time before he left. There was gathering and working together,’” Harada recalls. game, a Cruisin’ USA, a Dance Dance Revolution.
a pressure on his team, and on him personally, to As for the internal jealousy, he says, “I’ve never And in late 2004, there was a Tekken 5 cabinet.
keep the entire company aloft. suffered from that stuff. My boss kept telling me Joe Bennett and his older brother were
“Leading the biggest project in the company that selling titles would support everyone, and on a mission to find it. And they brought their
came with a lot of friction. Especially close to that creating Tekken was my mission. PlayStation controllers with them.
Master Submission, our project took a lot of “I was impressed and convinced then. That’s The Bennett brothers, who grew up playing
resources from other teams. Since Tekken was why I decided to continue Tekken for 10, 20 years Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag on consoles, weren’t
earning a lot, some people got jealous and hated longer.” confused about the distinction between their
us. Some people [inside the company] said that After a year away, Harada went back. There was living room one-on-one sessions and the
they didn’t want to join Tekken projects.” another reason for his return, of course — one that nuances of arcade machine combat. But they had
Whether or not internal pressures contributed had nothing to do with revenues or copies sold. heard that this arcade machine was different.
to his departure, he won’t say. But the critical “The truth is simple. The reason is because I’m “The unique thing about the Tekken 5 machine
reaction to Tekken 4 did not play a role. the person who loves fighting game genre most was that actually allowed you to plug in a
“I’ve never thought about quitting [because of] in the world. If this characteristic would benefit PlayStation controller,” Bennett says. “Because I
game evaluations and fan communities,” he says. players, companies, my family… that would be grew up playing with my brother on the console,
Still, either due to internal pressures, or his awesome.” that’s what I was comfortable with. So we would
own feelings about the game’s success — or Like Kazuya, who had survived his fall into a bring our PlayStation controllers to the arcade
because he had been working on Tekken for volcano years earlier, Harada returned stronger and plug them in and that’s how we kept on
a decade non-stop — he left. He needed to than ever, ready to defeat his demons. playing through the arcade days on pad.

Tekken 5 | 67

HISTORY
It’s not there anymore, but it survived a lot longer reckoned with. For the first time in some years,
than most arcades.” the Tekken scene grew. LIKE KAZUYA ,WHO HAD SURVIVED
The PS2 controller ports were the culmination As if to prove it, the Tekken 5 cabinet was built HIS FALL INTO A VOLCANO YEARS
of the co-evolution of Tekken on console and with another key innovation. Data cards.
Tekken on cabinet. Or perhaps merely the next In Tekken, like most competitive games, EARLIER ,HARADA RETURNED
phase of that evolution. But in an era when the player tags are common. No one really goes STRONGER THAN EVER ,READY
landscape of arcades looked bleak, threatening by their real name. Some of your close friends
the very nature of Tekken’s battle-tested might not even know your real name. The TO DEFEAT HIS DEMONS.
development cycle, the addition of the ports was first time you slide a data card into a Tekken 5
more than a convenience. cabinet, you enter your player name. You might
“When you get into the arcade scene, you have a nickname you’ve gone by for years. For
meet all these people, and that’s how you start new players, there was some pressure.
getting into it competitively. That’s how I started “I played a lot of Bryan Fury at the time, so my
finding out about tournaments, the whole scene brother said, ‘Put in Joey Fury, that sounds dope!”
— that’s been it from there, I’ve been playing Bennett says. He’s been “Joey Fury” ever since.
Tekken competitively since I was 12 years old,” “Even though in real life everyone calls me Joe.”
Bennett says. “I’m a King player, but I love Jin. I used to play
Bennett’s story is not unique. You could be a Jin a lot,” recalls regular Tekken commentator
Tekken fan in your living room, but you wouldn’t Steven Scott. Under pressure to enter a
be part of the Tekken scene. The scene was meaningful name, he chose 4gottenKazama. A
at the arcade. Even in late 2004, that’s where lot of Tekken names are like this — a reference to
you would meet the crusty vets and the young a favorite character. Though sometimes, like in
prodigies; that’s where you found other people Scott’s case, it doesn’t stick — he’s a King player,
who loved Tekken. after all. He now goes by Tasty_Steve. Tray “P.
Even through the dog days of Tekken 4, the Ling” Sherman originally went by Princess Ling,
scene never really went away. Fans kept showing a reference to his main character, but shortened
up, kept playing, kept competing. This is what it when he was mistaken for a woman one too
they did. The PS2 gamepad ports brought a lot of many times.
young players like Bennett to the scene in their For other players, their nickname was given to
neighborhood they would otherwise never have them by other local Iron Fist junkies.
known existed — and showed cabinet die-hards “I started really, really young, younger than
that some console players were a force to be most players would start in the fighting game

HISTORY
community these days. I was probably 10 years characters, a first in the series. All of it helped
old while everyone else there was 18 or older,” build your Tekken identity — one that could now be
Hoa Luu recalls. Mall employees on break, or transported to any arcade in the world.
their friends coming to visit. “When I first started On consoles, Tekken 5 would sell over 6 million
going, I got whooped.” copies worldwide. It was a return to the sales
But he kept coming back. His father took an charts — and a return to form. The Tekken scene
interest in his improvement and passion for the was back in a big way.
game, and would drive him to the mall arcade It helped that the game itself was good.
almost every day. In the mall movie theater, Star The Tekken team began by getting rid of
Wars: Episode I had just hit screens. And from the noise. They did away with pre-fight player
there, Luu’s nickname was born. movement and uneven terrain. They amped the
“They took notice of me after I started to show speed of character movment back to pre-Tekken
a little bit of improvement. They used to call me 4 levels. Destructible environments remained,
the whole thing: Young Anakin Skywalker, or but were pared down and refined. Wall juggles
The Chosen One,” he says. “But eventually it just became much more difficult to pull off and much
became Anakin.” easier to defend. Switch position moves were
However you got your nickname, the data eliminated for every character not named Steve
cards made it a part of your Tekken identity. It Fox. And some new infinite levels were added
tracked your worldwide player rank, your win / back — wall-free combat areas to give players a
loss record and win percentage, and how much respite from dreaded walls.
money you had accumulated in game. That money All of the jarring “refinements” of Tekken 4
could be used to unlock alternate outfits for your were removed to encourage skeptical diehards
Tekken 5 | 69

HISTORY
back into the fray. Classic elements that 4 had more accurate. This technology is still used in learned there were some things about it that
removed, even inadvertently, were reinstated. some parts [of Tekken 7].” would never change.
Juggles, for example, made exceedingly difficult Kudo would go on to become Tekken Project’s Just like Harada himself.
to the point that they might as well have been Lead Programmer. “When I was a kid, adults and teachers said,
removed from 4, were back in 5, along with more With Kudo’s expertise and two more years “Doing your favorite things won’t feed you, you
aerial leaps and attacks. Going back to what had experience with the PlayStation hardware, have to think about hobbies separate from your
always worked allowed the team to focus on Tekken 5 finally made good on the next-gen job.” I couldn’t bear that. I thought, “I can’t give
making those familiar ingredients even better. graphics that Sony had promised to the TGS up what I like!” That’s why I tried hard,” he says.
To combat the PlayStation 2’s finicky crowd five years before, when they showed off Maybe for most people, what teachers told
compression issues, the team needed to bring in Tag Tournament to the world. Harada is true. But what about for the person
a heavy hitter. Harada assigned Kei Kudo to the But while the team looked back at past games who loves fighting games most of all? This is the
task. Kudo was a promising young programmer to guide them, they also looked forward. Tekken 5 source of Harada’s obsession with sales figures;
who had come up on the latest technology. was a gleeful gift to series fans. The PS2 ports of his drive to outlive every other fighting game
“At that time, the memory of PS2 hardware and Data Cards and customizable characters franchise.
doesn’t have enough space, and compression made it a game about the player. The game came “You have to objectively prove that you’re the
technology used for Tekken 4 wasn’t good,” Kudo with 32 characters, an unprecedented roster one who likes it best. For that reason, I tried hard
says. “When you watch carefully, characters are size. Lead by a rejuvenated Harada, the Tekken to increase the sales of Tekken franchise,” he
shaking in the screens. I was glad that I took my team made a pure Tekken game that wasn’t explains.
time and succeeded in developing compression afraid to be just that: Tekken. Even as the series “And, as a result, I think I’ve proved that I like
technology that make data size smaller, and marched forward into its second decade, they the fighting games best.”

Tekken 5 unused character designs

GAMEPAD
VS. JOYSTICK
S
INCE THE ORIGINS of Tekken, one end up feeling out of place. Combos become teeth on console releases could bring a gamepad
question has plagued fans and competitors contortions, fingers winding uncomfortably from home and go head-to-head with cabinet
more than any other: a question that has around a controller. Even with the right muscle joystick devotees.
separated friends and factions and cuts to the memory, there’s no comparison to the cabinet “A lot of people who grew up playing in
very heart of what it means to play Tekken: layout. No such trouble for the Tekken player. It’s arcades, they play on stick. But the unique thing
Gamepad or joystick? not simpler — it just fits. about the Tekken 5 machine was that [it] actually
In most competitive fighting games, the The uniquely symbiotic relationship between allowed you to plug in a PlayStation controller.
joystick is the undisputed favorite. There’s an Tekken’s arcade and console releases make So we would bring our PlayStation controllers to
entire cottage industry of custom third-party pad versus stick a viable debate. Tekken was the arcade and plug them in, and that’s how we
joysticks. They’re a status symbol. Serious about designed for arcade release, of course, but was kept on playing through the arcade days on pad,”
the game? Want a “pure” (read: arcade) fighting also designed with the PlayStation controller in says Joe “Joey Fury” Bennett, a professional
experience, even at home? Get your own stick. mind: four buttons for four limbs. player from Buffalo, New York. “I’m not very
With other fighters, mapping a five or six- Tekken 5 further extended the debate. The good on stick, even though I guess people would
button control scheme to a console gamepad Tekken 5 cabinet release included a USB port consider me an old school Tekken player.”
becomes cumbersome. It’s not impossible, but at each player station — the same kind used for In 2004, there was still a bit of snobbery
one or two buttons will pretty much always controllers on the PS2. Players who had cut their associated with arcade purity. You might be

scoffed at or looked down upon for unwinding
your cord and plugging in a PS2 DualShock2 in an
arcade—that is, until you started winning.
“Because the Japanese and Korean players
are considered peak skill worldwide, and they all
play on stick, it creates an impression in people’s
minds that it’s better. Like, oh, there’s a higher
ceiling on stick. I don’t really see it that way; to
me it’s just different ways of putting your ideas
in your head into the game. Input, output. It’s as
simple as that,” Fury says.
These days, equality of the controller choices
is backed up by any high level tournament.
There, every competitor brings their own
controller, and roughly half opt for a PS4
gamepad.
“Because I grew up playing with my brother on
the console, that’s what I was comfortable with,”
Fury says. “I don’t really see one of being better
than the other. Some of the best players in the
United States have used pad. A really dominant
Tekken player for a long time was Fighting GM,
and he played on pad.”
Across the board, background seems to be
the deciding factor: How did you learn Tekken?
If it was at the arcade, you probably still use a
joystick. If it was in your cousin’s living room, you
probably still use a gamepad.
For some players the answer, surprisingly,
is… both.
“I find myself playing more and more arcade
stick these days,” says Hoa “Anakin” Luu, who
plays in tournaments using a pad. “Just for fun.
And because it replicates the arcade feeling
so well. The more I play the more I find the
gap is being closed between the pad and the
arcade stick, and at some point I’m going to hit
a crossroad and decide if I’m going to go full
arcade or go controller.”
“Yeah, that’s crazy. Most guys can’t do that,”
said P. Ling. “I switched to stick for a month
before my first tournament, but I kept breaking
controllers.”
But gamepad vs. joystick is the easy question.
The real dilemma?
Who’s your fighter?
Gamepad V s. Joystick | 73

TEKKEN-INTS-02-CHARACTERS-MISHIMA.indd 74 22/02/19 12:12
C H O O S E Y O U R
CHA R A C T E R

MISHIMA CLAN
KAZUYA
MISHIMA
IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO

MEET YOUR END!
Kazuya was raised as the heir to the Mishima Zaibatsu, but

rebelled against his father Heihachi. After awakening the
power of the devil within him, he's finally able to control it.
THE DEVIL
IN DISGUISE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: JAPAN
FIGHTING STYLE: MISHIMA KARATE
FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN
T
HOUGH HIS SON would eventually worthy of the Mishima name then he would
become the series protagonist, and his survive the fall and be made stronger for it.
father has always had a slight edge when it Oh, and that was after Heihachi had killed
comes to iconic hair, Kazuya Mishima is the true Kazuya’s mother.
center of the Tekken series, and emblematic of Kazuya did survive the fall — and dedicated his
everything that makes it unique. life to becoming a fighter worthy of his father’s
Kazuya began as a fairly formulaic fighting- brutal legacy. After winning the first King of Iron
game protagonist — the spiritual equivalent to Fist Tournament, Kazuya got revenge against his
Street Fighter’s Ryu, right down to his white father, and took over the Mishima Zaibatsu.
pants and red gloves. But Kazuya would soon Kazuya’s iconic backstory was simple
shed the predictable role in favor of something enough to propel Tekken’s original plot, but it
exponentially more complex. has gained layers of complexity over nearly a
From the first Tekken, Kazuya’s tale has been quarter century of games. In Tekken 2, Kazuya
marked by tragedy. Determined to turn him into became the villain. Not only did he continue the
a world class fighter, Kazuya’s father Heihachi worst of his father’s leadership practices as the
brought new meaning to the term “tough love” head of the Zaibatsu; but, players soon learned,
when he threw his prepubescent son off a cliff. he hid an even more sinister secret within: the
In Heihachi’s estimation, if Kazuya were truly Devil Gene. It was this gene that had allowed

CHARACTER EVOLUTION
TEKKEN 1 TEKKEN 5 TEKKEN 6

Kazuya to survive being thrown from the cliff, loose set of dynamics between them. Tekken’s KAZUYA MISHIMA
and which would eventually cause a demonic characters have been recontextualized over and
transformation — complete with horns, spiked over again — their defining characteristics remain
wings, hovering claws and burning red eyes. consistent, but their contexts change, and stay
He may have been hamfisted personification fresh and compelling. This begins and ends with
of evil, but Kazuya’s transformation was also Kazuya Mishima.
an early sign that Tekken would not be content Since Tekken 2, Kazuya and his father have
to recycle the same iconic characters and the taken turns as series villains: two bright, burning
stars orbiting one another, vying for universal
power, while the rest of Tekken’s cast are caught
in their gravity, drawn into conflict and ruin.
CH A R ACTER SEL ECT | 79

MISHIMA CLAN PATHETIC. Video games in general and fighting games in fighters gathering to punch one another into
particular are no strangers to plots that are — how oblivion. Kazuya Mishima represents a power
should we say this — a touch farfetched. More fantasy in which even the power of the devil
often, those plots are window dressing rather itself is tied to heredity, to family. And in that
than a reason to play unto themselves. No fighting brilliant way, Tekken establishes that regardless
game understands this better than Tekken. the scope of its context — one that encompasses
Look no further than Kazuya’s Devil Gene. It’s monsters and lasers and ancient, unearthed
lore that clearly illustrates where the borders of powers, and regular humans with irregular
Tekken lie. In the recurring, simplistic context of physical abilities — Tekken, like Star Wars, will
a fighting tournament, the Iron Fist Tournament always ultimately be about the conflict between a
is about so much more than the world’s best father and a son.

KAZUYA MISHIMA
SIGNATURE MOVES
ELECTRIC WIND GOD FIST
ABOLISHING FIST
STATURE SMASH

HEIHACHI
MISHIMA
YOU FOOL! I AM INVINCIBLE!
The original leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and

the fighter known as the "King of the Iron Fist."
Heihachi continues to fight for control of the Mishima
Zaibatsu against his son, Kazuya, and his grandson, Jin.
After having recovered from the injuries he sustained in the
suicide attack on him from the G Corporation's Jack units,
Heihachi is back with an iron fist — and body to match.
THE POWERFUL
PATRIARCH
FIGHTING STYLE: MISHIMA KARATE
O
NE GLANCE AT Heihachi Mishima—his Heihachi murdered his wife, we learn in
face or his dossier—will tell you that he’s Tekken 7, because she carried the Devil Gene,
one evil guy.. Let’s check the credentials: and when it took hold, she had tried to murder
• Evil hair Heihachi. He threw Kazuya off the cliff because
• Evil scowl (no smiling!) he had to see if Kazuya, too, carried the demonic
• Evil corporation gene. His tough-love relationship with Kazuya
• Murdered his wife prior to that discovery stemmed from Heihachi’s
• Attempted to murder his son jealousy and issues with his own father.
And that’s just for starters. The hair? Well, there’s no good excuse for
But unlike his brooding son, who began as the the hair.
series protagonist before literally becoming the Heihachi is a pretty villainous dude, just not as
Devil, Heihachi began as the antagonist and has bad as he first seemed — and certainly not as bad
spent the series on a redemption arc of sorts. as his devilish son. This inversion of expectations

CHARACTER EVOLUTION

is a testament to Tekken’s refusal to be patly my father was no different. So people who are HEIHACHI MISHIMA
predictable, but also stems from Harada’s own Japanese, especially from my era, see the story
affinity for the character, who he has claimed on portrayed in Tekken, they can kind of relate. It’s
many occasions is his favorite. not like they’re trying to kill each other, but it’s
“My father grew up in the environment after still that severe environment a lot of times.”
the war ended, so it was right when Japan was In other words, Heihachi is caricature of
starting to get on its feet, and everyone was real cultural tropes and ideas. He might seem
starting to live a comfortable life for the first cartoony on the surface — and he is — but for
time in a while,” Harada recalls. “I had a very Harada, Heihachi is Tekken’s personification of
normal home environment. But my father and wartime Japan.
my grandfather were still very Japanese. And the “I guess you could say he’s everyone’s image
Japanese mentality is that, with men — especially of Japan during [World War II],” Harada says.
with the first born sons — they’re quite strict “The kind of imperialistic Japan, the Zaibatsu —
on them. They push them away intentionally to that’s the image that’s cast onto Heihachi.”
make them stronger. You challenge them so they Heihachi runs the Mishima Zaibatsu, grown
can be even bigger and better than their father. powerful on the sale of military weapons, like a
So that kind of thinking was very Japanese and dynasty. In some games he appears in cutscenes
COME BACK WHEN YOU’RE READY TO FIGHT!

MISHIMA CLAN
I’LL SQUASH
YOU LIKE A BUG!
in a large chair, his own throne. Even the idea

that he would hold a tournament for control of
his company caricatures what is otherwise a very
Japanese idea: only the strongest should be in
charge, and those who fail should step aside.
Why threaten your own position of power by
holding such a tournament? To prove that you
deserve it.
Heihachi and the Mishima Zaibatsu are
cartoons of World War II Japan: powerful,
snarling; purveyors of death and destruction—but
also hidden depths, and a decades-long path to
redemption.
THE KIND OF IMPERIALISTIC JAPAN, THE ZAIBATSU —

THAT’S THE IMAGE THAT’S CAST ONTO HEIHACHI.

HEIHACHI MISHIMA
SIGNATURE MOVES
THUNDER GOD FIST
STONEHEAD
HELL AXLE
RASHOMON

MISHIMA CLAN
JIN KAZAMA
POWER IS EVERYTHING.
The leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the man

who declared war on the world. Fighting the Devil
inside him, which gets stronger everyday, he yearns
to be rid of it once and for all. When his battle is
over at last, will he find hope… or despair?
THE TRAGIC HERO

FIGHTING STYLE: KARATE
FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN 3
W
HEN JIN FIRST came on the scene,
you would have been forgiven for
mistaking him for his father, Kazuya.
Father and son shared the same swish of black,
anime-inspired hair. The red gloves. Jin even
opted for his dad’s pants-but-no-shirt look.
And seemingly this is part of the point. The
similarities between them help connect the
Tekken games together for the casual observer,
but their great differences allow the series to
remain true to its penchant for taking characters
in new and interesting directions.
Beyond the box art, the further links between
Jin and Kazuya make for great contrasting
examples of nature versus nurture. Both
carry the Devil Gene, passed down through
generations of their family. Both lost their
mothers when they were young. Both possess
Mishima blood on their father’s side. But Kazuya
was raised by an intermittently possessed
mother and an abusive father, while Jin was

CHARACTER EVOLUTION

raised on a remote island by his mother, Jun. It’s not a coincidence, then, that Jin might be
Somewhere in that difference — the difference mistaken for Kazuya on the cover of Tekken 3 (or JIN KAZAMA
in nurture — Jin became a much different man that he wore the a similar outfit despite never
than his father: a man with a moral compass. having met his father). He is Kazuya’s mirror, a
Though Jin, too, would be betrayed by Heihachi living example of what Kazuya could have been
and caught in the crosshairs of the Devil, if he had chosen a different path, or grown up
those betrayals took place too late for Jin to be under different circumstances.
corrupted by his anger and desire for vengeance. Jin also served as gift to veterans of the series.
In fact, Jin’s darkest instinct is a desire to end What he lacks in the raw power and special
the destructive Mishima bloodline, and himself abilities of his father and grandfather, he makes
along with it. up for in quickness, opportune pokes, and quick
stance changes. It’s a more nuanced approach to
Tekken’s combat, but the perfect match for the
game that relaunched the series for
the next 20 years.

MISHIMA CLAN
DON’T
GET IN
MY WAY.

JIN KAZAMA
SIGNATURE MOVES
SAVAGE SWORD
THRUSTING UPPERCUT
PARRY

(DEVIL JIN)
LASER CANNON (DEVIL JIN)
SPINNING DEMON (DEVIL JIN)

MISHIMA CLAN
KAZUMI
MISHIMA
I WILL TEACH YOU THE
MEANING OF FEAR.
Kazumi Mishima, wife of Heihachi Mishima, is well versed in

Hachijyo Karate. She was childhood friends with her husband
Heihachi and eventually they fell in love. Through their love
they birthed a healthy young boy. Fast forward a few years later,
and Heihachi would become the head of a huge organization
called the Mishima Zaibatsu, with plans to conquer the world.
Kazumi loved Heihachi unconditionally, but at the same time he
was beginning to feel dangerous. In this state, Heihachi threw
the world into a war and Kazumi took it upon herself to stop him.

FIGHTING STYLE: HACHIJO-STYLE KARATE
I
N HER WHITE kimono, geta footwear, and Gene, it began to seem as though Kazumi must
carefully crafted updo, Kazuya’s mother and have been the source for Kazuya and Jin’s
Heihachi’s ex-wife is the image of Japanese hereditary curse.
tradition. She could as easily be from 16th Ultimately, despite her deceased status,
century as the 20th—which is appropriate for Kazumi became the main series’ first female
a ghost. Kazumi died before the outset of the final boss. In Tekken 7, her murder at Heihachi’s
Tekken series, and it took her over twenty hand was recontextualized as a fight between
years to become a playable character. In the Heihachi, Kazumi, and the Devil inside her, in
intervening decades, Kazumi has been measure which Heihachi had killed her only in self-defense
of Tekken’s evolving lore. only after she had transformed into her Devil
At first, Kazumi was a symbol of Kazuya’s love form and attempted to kill him.
and Heihachi’s cruelty, when in the aftermath of In these new flashbacks, it’s implied that
her murder, young Kazuya tried to challenge his Kazumi only joined the Mishima clan because she
battle-hardened father. was fated to kill Heihachi. This raises even more
Then, she was a symbol of Heihachi’s questions: How far down her own family tree
humanity, when we saw their names carved into does the Devil Gene reach? What, if anything,
the floorboards of the temple where the two of does the Devil Gene have to do with her mission
them had trained and fallen in love. to end the Mishima line?
Then, she was a mystery. When Heihachi Whatever changes and revelations lie ahead
determined that he did not possess the Devil for Tekken, Kazumi is sure to be and its center.

SIGNATURE MOVES
DIAMOND TIGER STRIKE
TIGER DEMON’S BREATH

MISHIMA CLAN
LEE CHAOLAN
FIGHTING IS
ELEGANCE AT
ITS PUREST.
The adopted son of Heihachi Mishima, raised to be a

rival for Kazuya Mishima. After abandoning the Zaibatsu
for various reasons, he ended up idling his time away
in the Bahamas as manager of his own company… until
a certain event disturbed his permanent vacation and
entwined his fate with the Zaibatsu once again.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CHINA / JAPAN

FIGHTING STYLE: MARTIAL ARTS
F
OR SOME ORPHANS, adoption might track rabbit for Kazuya, to push him to become a
represent a golden ticket: a roof over your better fighter; and a backup heir in the event that
head, meals in your belly, and a chance Heihachi ever needed to chuck his biological son
to belong to a family. The reality tends to be a off a cliff.
bit more complicated than that, but you’d be As an adult, Lee tries his best to keep out of
hard pressed to get an adoptive family more the Mishima family drama, but his flamboyant
complicated than the Mishima clan. attire and the silver hair he’s had since birth—
On one hand, being pulled off the street by the which earned him the ironic nickname “The
owner of the Mishima Zaibatsu meant Lee Chaolan Silver-Haired Demon”— don’t much jive with
would never want for anything material ever keeping a low profile.
again. He would have food, training, an education, Though Lee’s backstory is also a good lens
fancy outfits; and eventually, a private home in for his evolution as a Tekken character. In the
the Bahamas. On the other hand, Heihachi would original game, Lee didn’t have much of a story.
never be a father to Lee. Not really. He was a training partner of Paul Phoenix and
Heihachi had found Lee fighting off a pack of Marshall Law. Mechanically, Lee was just an
older kids and. He saw potential in the boy — but unlockable clone of Marshall Law with a few of
as a fighter, not a human being. Lee would be a Phoenix’s moves thrown in for good measure.

CHARACTER EVOLUTION
EXCELLENT.
In Tekken 2, Lee’s backstory was retconned to include the adoption, and he became an integral
player in the Kazuya and Heihachi infighting. Since then, he’s evolved as a fighter as well: from
Marshall Law clone to a man with his own unique style. Lee is evasive, using small pokes to annoy
opponents into submission. Maybe he’s more of a little brother than he’d like to admit.

LEE CHAOLAN
VIOLET
WHEN HE’D RATHER not be a Mishima (and who can blame him?)
or a Lee (a name to which he has no allegiance), Chaolan hits the
scene as his alter ego, Violet. Violet looks and dresses a lot like Lee,
only with a lot more purple. Not exactly the disguise you’d expect
from someone trying to keep a low profile—but with an upbringing like
Lee’s, it’s no wonder there are a few identity crises to work out.
DEV / PLAYER QUOTE:

"Lee Chaolan. I’ve been using Lee Chaolan
since the 1st Tekken console version.
I love not only his elegance in his appearance
and action, but also his comedian features.
I like his profile that after expelled from
Mishima family, he managed his own company.
And he has a talent in growing the company to
global corporation. I like his excellence in both
business and battles."
SIGNATURE MOVES
MACHINE GUN KICKS
DRAGON SLIDE
ACID STORM
SILVER CYCLONE

MISHIMA CLAN
LARS
ALEXANDERSSON
YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME?
A former officer of the Mishima Zaibatsu's

special military unit, the Tekken Force,
Lars enacted a coup d'état and rebelled
against his former employer.
Lars continues to fight despite the loss
of his fallen comrades, and his bloody
rebellion is nowhere near finished.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: SWEDEN

FIGHTING STYLE: TEKKEN FORCE MARTIAL ARTS
T
HERE’S A CERTAIN pattern that recurs Goku, complete with flapping red Superman
among descendents of Heihachi Mishima: cape. He does not share Kazuya and Jin’s Hachijo
Burst onto the scene as a would-be blood, so no fear of Devil Genes here. And
protagonist, only to fight long enough to become Heihachi is not yet aware that Lars is his son,
evil themselves (or, in Jin’s case, corrupted by an which helps keep Lars off Heihachi’s radar.
evil force). Next to try his hand at breaking the Lars’ official fighting style is listed as “Karate”
cycle is Lars Alexandersson. in Tekken 6, and “Tekken Forces Martial Arts”
Of all the previous series protagonists, Lars thereafter, but bears a strong resemblance to
seems the least corruptible. He wears his do- Shorinji Kempo, a holistic spin-off of kung fu
gooderness on his sleeve — literally. The armor- developed by Doshin So—who, just like Lars, was
clad fighter looks like cross between Thor and a former military intelligence agent.

THERE’S NO WAY
YOU CAN STOP ME.
DEV / PLAYER QUOTE:

“We wanted to appeal to the Nordic audiences,
because we saw an increase in the popularity of
Tekken in that area. So we actually went back and forth
with the Swedish Embassy in Japan, and they told us a
list of names and gave us direction on whether it was
realistic or some kind of name that would ever happen.
Sometimes you might pick a name from history that
would never be used today. So it was a list of names
that someone on the street today might have, but not
like Jon or Dave or anything as common as that.”
— TEKKEN PROJECT INTERNATIONAL

PRODUCER &DESIGNER MICHAEL MURRAY
on naming Lars
SIGNATURE MOVES
SHB
ZEUS

MISHIMA CLAN
LING XIAOYU
I’M STRONGER THAN I LOOK!
Ling Xiaoyu infiltrated the Mishima Zaibatsu building in search of information

relating to Jin Kazama's disappearance. Creeping deeper into the enemy
territory under the guards' noses, she eventually heard Heihachi Mishima's
voice coming from a room; he was giving orders about locating Jin. Just as
Xiaoyu was about to sneak into the room, a man dressed all in white emerged
and pushed her back. "Take me to Jin!" Xiaoyu demanded, unflinching. The
man stood there for a moment, before ordering Xiaoyu to follow him.
He led her to the roof, then silently turned toward her, and readied
himself to fight. Xiaoyu took up her fighting stance, and said, "So that's
how it is... If you think I'm just some little girl, you're sadly mistaken."
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CHINA

FIGHTING STYLE: BAGUAZHANG AND PIGUAQUAN
X
“ IAO,” AS SHE’S KNOWN by her
friends (Xiaoyu is her first name — Ling,
her surname), is a character defined by
movement. She made her way into the weird,
violent world of the Iron Fist Tournament
on a lark. During a vacation with her family,
Xiao dreamed of one day building the perfect
amusement park in mainland China, and had
heard of the wealth and power of the Mishima
Zaibatsu. With nothing but a dream and a bear,
she stowed away on a Mishima Zaibatsu ship en
route to Japan.
Heihachi finds his supply ship at port filled
with an incapacitated crew. Their diminutive
assailant demands that Heihachi build her
the world’s greatest amusement park. And he
agrees — if Ling Xiaoyu enters and wins the next
Iron Fist Tournament.
In the meantime, Xiao attends Mishima
Polytechnic High School, which is an otherwise
normal Japanese high school that happens to be
owned by a weapons-producing Zaibatsu and

CHARACTER EVOLUTION

have a giant gold statue of Heihachi Mishima obstacles and enemy strikes. Xiao also uses LING XIAOYU
before the entrance. In Tekken 3, Xiao attends Piguaquan, a Chinese technique of palm fighting
the school with Jin and her best friend, Miharu that emphasizes long-range strikes. This
Hirano. It’s fun to imagine that attending MPHS is combination means Ling is best kept on the move
like attending Bayside High in Saved By The Bell, and striking quickly from a safe distance. She is
only Mr. Belding can’t stop Jin, Ling, and their the proverbial fly of the battlefield, evasive and
racially diverse group of friends from getting annoying — and carrying a swatter of her own.
up to mischief because any one of them could Though Jin stopped attending the school
kick his ass. Or perhaps it’s more of a Hogwarts at the end of Tekken 3, and Heihachi appeared
situation, with each class covering an aspect of to die in Tekken 4, and Jin technically owned
training or a different martial art. the school in Tekken 6, Xiao has carried on, a
Xiao spends her time in the arena on the dutiful, doll-faced teenager through it all. In
move, as well. She employs Baguazhang, a a related wrinkle, the Tekken devs have given
versatile Chinese martial art known for its Ling the Simpsons treatment. Though she was
circular walk. This technique, also called only 16 when she was introduced in Tekken 3,
“turning the circle,” allows Baguazhang she has barely aged since. Good (Devil-free)
fighters flow through the battlefield, avoiding genes? Or perhaps it’s just difficult to pass
OOPS, I WON!

MISHIMA CLAN
courses when you’re leaving school every year whom she regards as a an inappropriate
to fight in a tournament against robots and men uncle. Even though Xiao is still waiting on the
twice your age. amusement park of her dreams, her bond
What Xiao’s sudden move to Japan means with Heihachi makes sense. After all, what are
to her family, it’s never made clear. Instead, the odds a young martial arts protege with a
she has become a bit of an honorary Mishima. pet panda would fall in with a man who just
She has shown feelings for both Jin, her former happened to be the world’s preeminent expert
classmate and training partner, and Heihachi, on teaching bears to fight?

LING XIAOYU
SIGNATURE MOVES
WINGS OF FURY
(TURN OF FORTUNE)
FORTUNE COOKIE
X MARKS THE SPOT
THE PHOENIX
(STANCE)
FALSE SALUTE
STORMING FLOWER

KUMA
THE UNLIKELY BODYGUARD
FIGHTING STYLE: KUMA SHINKEN
K
UMA, WHO FIRST appeared in the Kuma’s moves are mostly recycled from Jack,
original Tekken, is the bodyguard of but that didn't stop the bear from somehow
Heihachi Mishima, one of the most becoming Paul Phoenix’s greatest rival in two
powerful and accomplished fighters in Tekken straight games. And, let’s face it, if you’re going
lore. Why does Heihachi need any bodyguard, to start a rivalry that motivates you to win the
let alone an unarmed bear standing on its hind Iron Fist Tournament, who are you going to
legs? Then again, if anyone is going to take on choose? A Russian robot, or a hyper-intelligent
potential attackers Heihachi couldn’t defeat bear?
himself, it might as well be a ferocious wild If only Kuma had still been around when
animal with paws the size of large pizzas, Heihachi ran into Akuma, or when he was thrown
whose inexplicably advanced intellect into an active volcano by his own son.
caused Mishima scientists to flee from it in
confusion and horror.
The Mishima Zaibatsu dispatched

Kuma, along with the Tekken Force,
K
to the Philippines on the pretext of
UMA II IS somehow even smarter than his already hyper- helping out with relief efforts after
intelligent father, Kuma I. Maybe it’s all the TV he watches. a monstrous typhoon. With the
Kuma II was also trained by Heihachi, and took up the Zaibatsu's financial clout behind
mantle as Heihachi’s bodyguard after Kuma died of old age. them, Kuma and the soldiers visited
For those keeping score at home, that’s three different the stricken areas, gaining the
bears Heihachi has trained to fight. Why bears? How does one trust of the locals. Before long,
even begin to train one bear to perform martial arts, let alone local youths, jobless after the
become a leading expert in the field? disaster, came forward asking to
Maybe if Kazuya had been born a bear, things would have join the Tekken Force. A recruitment
worked out better. test was quickly established and
many young hopefuls went to the
test location deep in the jungle.
Unbeknownst to them, the final
KUMA II test was a fight against none

other than Kuma himself! Some
buckled under the pressure and
quit, others were eliminated, but in
MR. BEAR, THE SECOND the end one candidate remained:

an athletic young woman.
However, the girl took one look at
Kuma and burst into tears! Kuma
felt bad, but attacked anyway in
FIGHTING STYLE: KUMA SHINKEN order to complete his assignment.

P
ANDA IS NOT only a Kuma reskin, but a
MISHIMA CLAN
Kuma II love interest. Evidently no one told
the smart bear about pandas’ lackluster
reproductive habits (or that they’re not actually
bears at all). Panda is also Ling Xaioyu’s
protector; evidently no one told Ling about
pandas’ napping habits.
Actual zoology notwithstanding, fighting as
Panda is fun enough that you might even forget
she’s an endangered species.
PANDA
BLACK AND WHITE
AND RED ALL OVER
Panda, Ling Xiaoyu's pet and personal
bodyguard, was concerned because
she hadn't seen Xiaoyu since she'd
left in search of Jin Kazama. Panda
deduced that Xiaoyu was likely at a
King of Iron Fist Tournament match,
so she headed off to the arena.
Panda approached the staff entrance
and inquired with the guards as
to Xiaoyu's whereabouts, but was
hurriedly ushered inside. Believing
Xiaoyu to be somewhere up ahead,
she bounds down a darkened
corridor towards the light ahead...
But to her chagrin, it wasn't Panda's
dearest Xiaoyu who awaited
her, but an unfamiliar, boorish
man with a bizarre hairstyle.
Enraged by the man's attitude and
absence of her owner, Panda's
fury reaches boiling point!

JAPANESE FIGHTERS
JUN KAZAMA
Mother of Jin Kazama, head of the Mishima Zaibatsu,

Jun is also a master of Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts.
She searches for something with those sorrowful eyes.

FIGHTING STYLE: KAZAMA STYLE TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS
T
HOUGH SHE’S CALLED “The Chosen It’s a tale as old as time, translated to the
One” by her own family, Jun Kazama is world of Tekken. The good girl meets the bad
probably better described as Tekken’s boy. She hates him at first, and with good
“Series Mom.” In addition to being series reason. But then she sees there’s good in him.
protagonist Jin’s literal mom, Jun also stands in And despite herself, she believes she can turn
as a mythical figure of tranquility and protection this bad boy good through her own love and
in the Tekkenverse. understanding. Of course, in Tekken, these
In her only series appearance as a fighter, Jun trope-laden emotional arcs become literal.
entered the second Iron Fist Tournament as a Kazuya’s inner turmoil is a fight between his
young conservationist — who also happened to true self and his Devil self. And Jun’s ability
know martial arts — determined to arrest Kazuya to influence him isn’t only emotional, but the
for his environmental crimes. See, during his bid mystical power to somehow suppress the Devil
to elevate the Mishima Zaibatsu to mustache- Gene — to a point.
twirling levels of evil, Kazuya had became a Not much is known about the nature of Jun
player in the endangered species black market. and Kazuya’s relationship, but it isn’t difficult
Of course he did. to imagine. Even for Kazuya, who lost his real
But Jun would end up being a much more mother at a young age, Jun served as a maternal
than a defender of animal rights. By fate or figure as well as a lover: someone who sees
coincidence, she possessed the power to the young boy he once was, and might have
suppress the Devil Gene growing stronger within the power to soothe a man who was otherwise
Kazuya. a personification of rage and revenge. What is
TEKKEN-INTS-03-CHARACTERS-JAPANESE.indd 110 22/02/19 12:19

JAPANESE FIGHTERS
YOU DARE
DEFY FATE?
Unused Artwork
Unused Artwork
Unused Artwork
known is that she ultimately failed — the Devil
Gene remains in Kazuya and eventually passed
on to their child, Jin.
Being an Iron Fist-caliber warrior never suited
Jun’s tranquil, maternal corner of Tekken lore.
When Kazuya was seemingly killed at the end
of Tekken 2, the Devil left his body in search for
another host — and found Jin still in his mother’s
womb. Jun was able to fight it off, and retreated
to the woods to raise her child alone, knowing
that one day the Mishima Clan might come
for him. That brief respite was cut short when
she was seemingly killed by Ogre, creating yet
SIGNATURE MOVES another mirror between Kazuya and his son: both
bear the Devil Gene, and both have now lost their
mothers at a young age. Is Jin doomed to share
TRIPLE SPIN KICK Kazuya’s fate?
Unfortunately for Jun, her removal from the
WHIPLASH fighting gallery downgrade her from “Series
Mom” to “Motivation.” Except, of course, for the
parallel universe of Tekken Tag Tournament.

JUN KAZAMA
UNKNOWN
THINGS TAKE a weird turn for Jun in Tekken
Tag Tournament, where she returns not only as
a fighter, but as the game’s final boss. Tag never
explicitly states that Unknown is Jun, but there
are clues everywhere. They look alike. They fight
alike — at least, when Unknown isn’t mimicking
the movesets of other characters. Unknown
even has a tattoo of the Devil Gene on her arm, a
possible nod to Kazuya and Jin. The similarities
are pretty striking — except for the part that
Unknown is an emotionless vessel possessed by
some kind of evil wolf spirit. Is that what really
happened to Jun? Is she alive after all?
Players who beat the game as Ogre, defeating
Jin as the final boss, are treated to an additional
glimpse of Unknown in the ending. Ogre bears
down, ready to consume Jin’s soul, when
Unknown steps in and stops him, saving Jin from
a gruesome fate. Saving Jun’s son while taking
revenge on the creature who killed her? Sounds
like something Jun would do.
But technically, the Tag games aren’t canon.
So Jun’s true fate, and her relationship to the
wolf spirit remain… Unknown.

JAPANESE FIGHTERS
ASUKA
KAZAMA
WHEN YOU RESORT TO

FIGHTING, EVERYONE LOSES.
Daughter of the Kazama Traditional Martial Arts School and known

as "Gang Mediator" in her hometown. Ever since she involved
herself in a certain street fight, Lili has viewed her as a rival.
She knows that Jin Kazama is her cousin and vows to take him down.

FIGHTING STYLE: KAZAMA STYLE TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS
I
N THE TIME JUMP between Tekken 2 and The women of the Kazama clan have one
Tekken 3, most of the old guard were replaced more thing in common: the ability to suppress
or augmented by a young counterpart. An the Devil Gene. When Jin was nearly overcome
apprentice, a daughter, a former rival. Despite by the Devil in Tekken 5, Asuka’s mere touch
her untimely demise, Jun Kazama would have to saved him — resulting in only a partial hideous
wait until Tekken 5 for her heir. possession deformity and all but confirming
Brash and eager to jump headlong into battle, Asuka’s Kazama blood.
Asuka doesn’t share much with the tranquil Mechanically, Asuka is one of the best
Jun when it comes to personality. But she and defensive characters in Tekken, excelling in
Jun fight in the same “Kazama Style,” and they evasions and reversals. A defender of the
evidently share a last name. And both Asuka and innocent and protector of the self-immolating
her father, the enigmatic “Mr. Kazama,” share men of the Mishima Clan? Asuka might not know
Jun’s surname. much about the legacy she’s inherited, but the
arrival of Jun’s heir apparent was worth the wait.

YOU’RE ALL SHOW.
SIGNATURE MOVES
DEMON SLAYER
INNER STRENGTH
ATTACK REVERSAL
SACRED BLADE

JAPANESE FIGHTERS
KUNIMITSU
FIGHTING STYLE: MANJI NINJUTSU
A female ninja who was once a member of the

Manji Clan of chivalrous thieves. After acting on
her own selfish desires, she was excommunicated
by the Manji Clan leader Yoshimitsu. No one knows
her true identity hidden behind that fox mask.
I
N THE ORIGINAL TEKKEN, Kunimitsu was
often mistaken for a male fighter. She’s even
listed as male in the English manual. That
misunderstanding was due in part to the blocky
nature of the PlayStation graphics, but also to
the vocal styvs of Katsuhiro Harada, whose voice
acting for Yoshimitsu was also used unaltered for
Kunimitsu.
Kunimitsu’s voice and appearance were
updated in Tekken 2, but her fate didn’t much
improve. Once a member of Yoshimitsu’s Manji
Clan, Kunimitsu was kicked out for commiting
thefts that didn’t meet the clan’s Robin-Hood
ethos of not stealing for personal gain. Only later
would she learn the true power of Yoshimitsu’s
sword—at which point she would, well, attempt to
steal it for personal gain.
Despite wielding a dagger in each hand,
Kunimitsu doesn’t appear to use them in combat.
Perhaps if she had, she could have gone on to
fight in more than two Iron Fist Tournaments.
SIGNATURE MOVE
KUNAI MURDER

JAPANESE FIGHTERS
GANRYU
FIGHTING STYLE: SUMO
“A sumo wrestler who has gained fame for being the youngest ozeki
in history. He runs the "Chanko Paradise" restaurant chain, but has
struggled getting it off the ground. He has made clear his feelings
for Michelle and Julia, but they both have already spurned him.
T
HOUGH SUMO WRESTLING is a sensation in
Japan, Ganryu is one of the least popular fighters
in Tekken, according to Harada. Still, in a game
series dedicated to replicating and interpreting real-life
martial arts, the game would be incomplete without a
rikishi.
Before the Tekken cast grew to encompass the world,
most of the characters and fighting styles were centered I WILL
in Japan. Ganryu himself began as a Jack clone — a large FIGHT FOR
fighter with a sumo skin and top knot — his appearance
and fighting style were further distinguished in Tekken 2.
THE FUTURE
Ganryu is a a world-class wrestler with a OF CHANKO
dishonorable streak. Banned from sumo after making PARADISE!
illegal bets on his matches, he then turned his
attentions to a bigger prize: the Iron Fist Tournament.
Despite losing his first Iron Fist Tournament, Ganryu
was brought into the Zaibatsu by Kazuya as a
bodyguard.
But there’s one thing that can temper this imposing
wrestler’s temper: love. Though his infatuation with
Michelle Chang (and then her daughter, Julia) remained
unrequited, it was enough to move him away from a life
of crime. Eventually, Ganryu retired to Hawaii, where he
became a humble sumo stable owner.
SIGNATURE MOVE
JULIA HUG
(ONLY AGAINST JULIA)

JAPANESE FIGHTERS
MOKUJIN /
TETSUJIN
FIGHTING STYLE: MIMICRY
An effigy made for training, carved from an

oak tree that has existed since ancient times.
Usually he is but an immobile doll, but can move
of his own volition in emergency situations.”
W
OODEN PRACTICE DOLLS are
as old as fighting itself — but Mokujin
is no dummy. The 2,000-year-old
white oak training doll had been on display in a
museum until Ogre, the God of Fighting, arose,
causing Mokujin to awaken, too. Think of him as a
combat-ready Pinocchio—sans soul.
Mokujin (literally “wooden person”) fights
by mimicking a different tournament fighter in
each round. It makes him unpredictable — but,
ironically, he represents a great way to practice
against Tekken’s vast array of fighters.
The next time you’re at the dojo training, just
imagine your training dummy hitting back. Then
maybe stick to video games.
TETSUJIN:
Literally “metal
person,” he’s
Mokujin cast in
metal.

JAPANESE FIGHTERS
COMBOT
ORIGIN: VIOLET SYSTEMS
FIGHTING STYLE: MIMICRY
“A multipurpose humanoid robot created by Violet Systems.

He was completed at some point, but due to unavoidable
complications, he has had to be rebuilt. Thanks to his adaptable
memory system, he is able to perform various fighting styles.”
T
HIS ROBOT FIGHTER is the creation of Violet, Lee Chaolan’s
alter ego. Combot was supposed to be able to incorporate any
fighter’s moves and learn from every defeat, making it the ideal
candidate to take down Heihachi and hand control of the Zaibatsu to
Combot’s operator. But in his rush to complete Combot before the fifth
Iron Fist Tournament, Violet left some kinks to work out. As a result,
Combot can only replicate one fighter’s moves per match.
For Tekken players, Combot’s limits are a feature, not a bug. Combot
can be used to hone your skills against any fighter — and should you face it
in the tournament, there’s no telling what you’ll be up against.
Still, Combot’s ability to change movesets once every match instead
of once every round is a downgrade from Mokujin. In this case, at least, it
seems that magic bests technology.

AMERICAN FIGHTERS
PAUL
PHOENIX
I'LL SHOW YOU THE POWER OF THE
STRONGEST IN THE UNIVERSE…
BUT NOT FOR FREE!
When Paul Phoenix, the golden boy of the martial arts world, steps
into the ring, the excitement in the crowd is palpable. But this time
when his opponent's name rang over the arena's loudspeakers, he
could only scratch his head in disbelief. It was Kuma... again!
However, Kuma was nowhere to be seen. Word went round that the
bear had dropped out of the tournament. The ring announcer informed
the spectators of a last-minute change to the fight card. Relieved, Paul
awaits the entrance of his long-anticipated human opponent...
HAIR WILL RISE AGAIN

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED STATES
FIGHTING STYLE: INTEGRATED MARTIAL ARTS BASED ON JUDO
P
AUL STARTED OUT as the would-be already had a rival: his father. As for all the rest
rival to Tekken’s would-be protagonist, of the Mishima family drama — the bloodlines and
Kazuya Mishima; the Ken to Kazuya’s Ryu, the Devil Genes and the Zaibatsus — Paul couldn’t
down to his blonde hair and tattered red gi. But be bothered.
another detail — Paul’s foot-tall high-fade flat top It was not unexpected, then, that while
hairdo — was an early indicator that he wouldn’t Kazuya and Heihachi escalated their family
be anything so mundane. dysfunction into an all-out international war,
Like Kazuya, Paul has consistently refused to Paul cultivated a new rivalry. Less expected?
be penned in by his trope-laden beginnings. He That his new archrival would turn out to be a
is a relentless trainer, cocksure and confident hyper-intelligent bear.
(and let’s face it — you pretty much have to be, Eat your heart out, Ken Masters.
to sport that ‘do), whose sole focus is to prove As a fighter, Paul Phoenix has developed a
himself as the best fighter in the world. Some reputation as a great character for beginners,
seven Iron Fist Tournaments later, he’s still with a straight-forward move set that dishes out
working toward that goal. heavy damage: big, powerful punches and judo-
Paul’s rivalry with Kazuya begins and ends in inspired throws. Paul’s move list isn’t limited to
the ring. In the first Tekken, Kazuya was the only judo, though — he incorporates a mix of karate
fighter in the world to ever fight Paul to a draw, and jiu jitsu for good measure.
much less defeat him. Unfortunately, Kazuya
TEKKEN-INTS-04-CHARACTERS-AMERICAN.indd 120 22/02/19 12:21

CHARACTER EVOLUTION
TEKKEN 1 TEKKEN 2 TEKKEN 5 TEKKEN 6

PAUL PHOENIX
NOTHING LIKE A
GOOD WORKOUT.

AMERICAN FIGHTERS
WEIGHT A MINUTE
PAUL PHOENIX is listed at 6’1⅝”. It really

is that specific. But he’s also listed at 81 kg, or
about 179 pounds. This is exceedingly light for a
man of Mr. Phoenix’s musculature. For reference,
NBA All-Star Stephen Curry is listed at 6’3”, 190
pounds, and he’s considered scrawny by NBA
standards. For a moment, let’s give the game
the benefit of the doubt and assume that Paul’s
height of 6’1⅝” includes his incredible stovepipe
of blonde hair. That would make his actual height
about a foot shorter, and lend an explanation for
why a walking human deltoid like Paul is so light.
Then again, it would also make everyone else in
Tekken really short. Let’s just go with Occam’s
Scale here: Paul Phoenix? You lied about your
weight on your tournament entry form, sir.
NO PAIN,
NO GAIN.
DEV / PLAYER QUOTE:

It’s so exhilarating when succeed in a counter
attack or a clean hit by “Phoenix Smasher”.
The enemy’s hit point will be extremely reduced,
and cannot feel this exhilaration by other games.”
— NAKABAYASHI

PAUL PHOENIX
SIGNATURE MOVES
PHOENIX SMASHER
DEMOLITION MAN
ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT
HAMMER PUNCH
PHOENIX BONE BREAKER

AMERICAN FIGHTERS
MARSHALL LAW
THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME WAY I

CAN MAKE SOME MONEY OFF THIS!

R
UNNING A DOJO will never be a cash students had quit his dojo until it was almost
cow, even for a world-renowned fighter too late. With a large sum still to repay, Law was
like Marshall Law. That’s why Law’s running out of ideas. As a last resort, he decided
dojo — located in the heart of San Francisco's to search for a capable fighter to run the dojo.
Chinatown — is a family affair. Law’s best friend, He asked his friend Paul if he knew anyone,
Paul Phoenix, helps keep things running, and and in his usual manner, Paul said he himself
before his motorcycle accident in Tekken 5, would be the perfect candidate. However,
Marshall’s son, Forest, hopes to follow in his thinking that the dojo would go bust in half a day
father’s footsteps. if Paul took control, Law politely refused.
For the sixth Iron Fist Tournament, Phoenix Instead, he put the word out that if any strong
proposes that he and Law enter as a team fighters wanted to try out for the job, they should
along with Steve Fox. It’s a good plan. With come and prove their skills in combat. Challenger
rents skyrocketing in American’s tech company after challenger appeared, but none of them
capitol, one of the aging fighters is going to were good enough for Law.
have to win the tournament sooner or later or Then, one day, Law heard a rumor that a
else they risk seeing their beloved dojo turned martial artist living in rural China was set to
into a coffee shop. be the next God Fist master. Seeing this as his
Preoccupied with paying off his son's debts, best chance yet, Law set off for his ancestral
Marshall Law didn't realize how many of his homeland.

CHARACTER EVOLUTION

AMERICAN FIGHTERS
COME AND
GET SOME!
I DARE YOU!

MARSHALL LAW
SIGNATURE MOVES
SOMERSAULT KICK
DRAGON’S FLIGHT
DRAGON CANNON
MACHINE GUN ARROW
FAKE STEP

AMERICAN FIGHTERS
FOREST LAW
O
F ALL THE YOUNG newcomers first place. But since then, he’s only appeared
stepping in for their elders in Tekken in the Tag Tournament games, and his biggest
3, Forest is the one who didn’t stick. accomplishment in the main series was causing
It’s not all Forest’s fault, though. For starters, his a massive traffic accident in Tekken 5, motivating
dad didn’t even have the sense to continue family his father to enter the tournament to pay the
tradition and give him a pun for a name. resulting bills.
In Forest’s defense, trying to get out from It seems that, at least in this case, Tekken
his father’s shadow was his motivation for players can’t see the Forest for the Lees.
entering the third Iron Fist Tournament in the
TAKE A SEAT, DAD.
SIGNATURE MOVE
MACHINE GUN ARROW

AMERICAN FIGHTERS
BRUCE
IRVIN
FIGHTING STYLE: KICKBOXING
I
N A WAY, Bruce was ahead of his time.
A Muay Thai fighter with a mohawk from the
mean streets of Anywhere, USA was a fine
choice for mid-’90s Tekken. 20 years later — when
UFC kickboxing was en vogue, and mohawks
were cool again — Bruce might have been less
distinctive.
In Tekken 2, Bruce stood out for being the
first playable Black character in a series without
very many of them. To this day, he has only been
joined by Eddy Gordo and Master Raven as major
and recognizably Black playable fighters.
Bruce disappeared from Tekken 3 and 4 due to
a bad case of amnesia (his, not the developers’)
before rejoining the fray in Tekken 5.
I’M YOUR WORST

NIGHTMARE.
SIGNATURE MOVE
DTEE SAWK KAO
CH A R ACTER SEL ECT | 13 3

AMERICAN FIGHTERS
ROBERT
RICHARDS
SPEED AND WEIGHT!
Once a fighter who had won the hearts of fans with his excellent
sensibility and handsome good looks, he decided to transform
himself completely by gaining weight to eliminate the perceived
disadvantage he had in a fight due to his body type. His fans were
disappointed, as on the outside it looked like he'd merely put on a
few too many pounds, but Bob was definitely pleased with himself.
A SIZABLE OPPONENT
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FIGHTING STYLE: FREESTYLE KARATE
I
N A GAME full of fit women and ripped names for the game’s American characters. It’s a
dudes, Bob stands out as a hulking, difficult needle to thread.
overweight, blonde-haired American in “So [players] gave me some crap later,” Mike
a Hawaiian shirt. At a glance, he seems like says. We were already calling him Bob, why did
someone you’d see scarfing hot dogs and $12 you make a new Bob?”
beers in the crowd at the Iron Fist Tournament, But the plus-size bounty hunter from the
not competing for the crown. South has made a name for himself. There’s
In fact when Bob first came on the scene, he nothing quite like witnessing a man of his
created some controversy amongst the Tekken size gracefully execute karate combos. Bob’s
community — but not because of his weight. weight isn’t a flaw, it’s a feature. As he moved
You see, before the introduction of an actual up the ranks of his sport, he found he could not
Bob, Tekken players had taken to calling another defeat larger fighters. And so he employed an
character, Hwoarang, “Bob.” unorthodox training regimine and returned to the
Longtime series designer Michael Murray sport able to outmatch his opponents in girth as
takes the blame for this. “They already had the well as grace.
sketch of what he looked like. And when I looked In Bob’s Tekken 6 ending, he is so caught
at it I thought, “This guy is definitely a Bob.”” up in his fame that he inadvertently loses his
As the only American on the team, Mike trademark weight. “Slim Bob” — also a playable
makes it a point to help Harada and the rest version of the character — is the perfect example
of the team pick out distinct but realistic of Tekken’s sense of humor.

SIGNATURE MOVES
BARISTA SWIRL
COMBINATION MINCE

WORLD FIGHTERS
STEVE FOX
HEY YOU…
YOU WANNA
TRY ME?
Steve Fox has had plenty of run-ins with the Mishima Zaibatsu,
but he never gave up his search for information about his past.
Though his mother's identity remained a mystery, one name in
particular began to crop up time and again: Nina Williams.
Believing she knew something, Steve began investigating her
whereabouts until he came up with a promising lead. The information
led him to an imposing cathedral. As he considered how best to proceed,
a figure appeared from inside, dressed in a tattered wedding gown.
It was Nina, who seemed to be running away from something.
Steve told her to stop, but she ignored him and fled. Determined
not to let this opportunity escape him, he blocked her path.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED KINGDOM

FIGHTING STYLE: BOXING
W
ITH THE FLASHY fighting styles part of an experiment to create biological super
and supernatural powers flying around soldiers. He was the only subject to survive.
in Tekken, the idea of boxing seems Steve’s mother, it turns out, is Nina Williams,
almost quaint. Even in the real world, traditional whose eggs were taken from her against her will
boxing has become a holdover of a bygone vwhile she was frozen in cryosleep. While Nina
generation, overtaken in popularity by the likes may not harbor much in the way of maternal
of mixed martial arts and the UFC. Yet being a instinct toward Steve — understandable, given
boxer is what makes Steve Fox one of the most his origin — discovering that he’s her son did once
distinctive fighters in all of Tekken. prevent her from assassinating him on a paid hit.
Steve’s move list contains almost no kicks, Ah, motherly love! So far, the identity of Steve’s
although one move has Steve stomp on his father remains a mystery.
opponent’s toes. Instead, Steve plays like a — Though his past may be a bit dodgy, Steve
well, like a video-game boxer gone turbo. His has done well for himself. He was a world
relentless punches and creative combos can be champion in his sport even before entering the
a formidable force… if a player can adjust to life Iron Fist Tournament. He’s earned the sizable
without kicksweeps. purses and comfortable life that comes from
Fox is a world champion boxer with a international boxing fame. And he’s one of the
mysterious past. His appetite for the ring is few Tekken characters who manages to make
rivaled only by his desire to discover the identity more friends than enemies as the series goes
of his birth parents. Eventually, Steve learns he along — friends like Lei Wulong, Marshall Law,
was created in a Mishima Zaibatsu laboratory as and Paul Phoenix.
TEKKEN-INTS-05-CHARACTERS-WORLD.indd 136 06/03/19 18:56

WORLD FIGHTERS
He likely has Tekken Project’s own Michael

Murray to thank for that.
According to Murray, Harada originally
wanted to name Steve “Dean Earwicker.” This
name even made it out in preview materials,
much to the chagrin of fans. Thankfully, Murray
stepped in and offered up a more suitable
Western name. Orphaned super soldier or not,
if he had been named Dean Earwicker, you can
bet your boxing money Steve’s outlook on life
wouldn’t have been so cheery.

STEVE FOX
SIGNATURE MOVES
BRITISH EDGE COMBO
HELLFIRE
DEMPSEY ROLL

WORLD FIGHTERS
HWOARANG
COME AT ME!
I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN!
Hwoarang sees one man as his rival: Jin Kazama. Jin, CEO of the Mishima
Zaibatsu, declared war against the world, and in the ensuing turmoil
vanished suddenly, without a trace. Suspecting there is more to Jin's
disappearance than meets the eye, Hwoarang vowed to track him down.
With only a shred of reliable information at hand, he headed to
the Middle East. After a series of dead leads, Hwoarang heard
word that a demon had appeared in a town. Without a second
thought, he got on his motorcycle and hammered down there.
When he arrived, the place had been deserted,
save for Jin Kazama in his devil form.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: SOUTH KOREA

FIGHTING STYLE: TAEKWONDO
T
HE HOT-HEADED APPRENTICE
of Baek Doo San took up the mantle of
the Iron Fist Tournament’s taekwondo
representative in Tekken 3. But when Hwoarang
(that’s Hwah-rang) arrived… Western players
didn’t really know how to say his name.
So, they called him Bob.
Some claim that Bob is in fact a permutation of
his Hwoarang’s canonical nickname, Blood Talon.
Others say it derives from concept art that was
released before Tekken 3 — and before Hwoarang
had a name — featuring him on his signature
motorcycle. With only the hog to go by, players
allegedly dubbed him “Boy on Bike,” or “Bob.”
To capture the unique physicality of bike boy’s
taekwondo fighting style, Tekken producers
went to the source. During the development of
Tekken 3, they used motion capture on Hwang
Su-Il, a renowned International Taekwondo
Federation champion.

SIGNATURE MOVES
SKY ROCKET
HUNTING HAWK

WORLD FIGHTERS
BAEK
DOO SAN
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: SOUTH KOREA
FIGHTING STYLE: TAEKWONDO
GO BACK AND
PRACTICE.
A
T THE BORDER of North Korea and
‌ China stands the highest mountain on
‌ the Korean Peninsula, known to North
Koreans as Paektu-san — or, to South Koreans,
as Baekdu-san.
The mountain is revered in Northeast China
and both Koreas, but was not always a site
of tranquility. In 946 AD, the mountain was
an active volcano and the site of one of the
most violent eruptions in recorded history.
Likewise, Baek Doo San is an otherwise
calm character with an eruption in his past:
After accidentally killing his own father in
a sparring match, Baek Doo San went on a
violent rampage, attacking and demolishing
other dojos, including Marshall Law’s.
These days, Doo-San is known more
for being Hwoarang’s taekwondo master.
But even his aging fits his meaning-packed
name: In both Hangul and Japanese kanji,
Baek Doo San’s written name translates
literally as “white head mountain.”
The hits keep coming.
SIGNATURE MOVE
HUNTING HAWK

WORLD FIGHTERS
EMILIE “LILI”
DE ROCHEFORT
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: MONACO
FIGHTING STYLE: SELF-TAUGHT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN 5: DARK RESURRECTION
I
F LILI LOOKS like the kind of trust-fund
socialite you’d expect to see at an exclusive
cocktail party at the Cannes Film Festival,
that’s because she is. Lili’s father is a wealthy
oil magnate from the Mediterranean island of YOU SURELY
Monaco. But while her friends were all planning
their Bat Mitzvahs and sweet sixteens, Lili was
DON'T BELIEVE…
kidnapped for ransom. In captivity, something YOU CAN BEAT ME?
awakened inside of her, and she fought violently
to free herself. She’s been addicted to fighting
ever since.
Her father hates violence of any kind, even
while so much of it surrounds his business
enterprises. His overprotective nature has only
pushed his daughter further into the ring.
Though Lili’s fighting style is listed as “self
taught,” she appears to use a combination of Lili entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament
gymnastics and graceful dance moves to keep again without telling her father this time either.
her opponents at bay. She lacks the strength and There she was anyway, smiling as the rapturous
training of many of her opponents, but makes up crowd looked on and her opponent entered
for it with impressive range and relentlessness. the arena. Lili was set to fight Asuka Kazama,
someone she had personally considered her
greatest rival for many years. If Lili saw the look
of annoyance on Asuka's face, it didn't show;
she just walked elegantly to the center of the
ring like she owned it, all the while thanking
Lady Luck for the opportunity to fight her rival.
SIGNATURE MOVES
WING KNEE CANNON
ALSTROMERIA

WORLD FIGHTERS
EDDY
GORDO
DON'T THINK I'LL
GO EASY ON YOU.
Eddy Gordo went to G Corporation to exact revenge on Kazuya

Mishima for murdering his father. After he'd taken out a crowd
of guards, a young girl in a strange outfit stood before him, and
struck a pose. "You're not getting past me, old man! Teehee!"
What did she mean by 'old man'? Confused and irritated
by her appearance and disrespectful tone, but aware
of the threat she posed, Eddy prepared to fight.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: BRAZIL

FIGHTING STYLE: CAPOEIRA
F
IGHTING STYLES MODELED after real- and capoeira was eventually banned. It was not
world disciplines is one of the hallmarks of until the late 20th century that it began to see a
Tekken, and nowhere does it leap from the resurgence.
screen more than in the case of Eddy Gordo. Eddy was born into one of the richest families
It only takes a round watching Eddy bound in Brazil, but lost his father to members of
about the arena to see that he stands out. That’s the cartels the elder Gordo was attempting to
because he fights using the art of capoeira, a dismantle. To protect Eddy from a similar fate,
dance-like fighting technique developed in Brazil his father told him to confess to the murder and
by African slaves. hide away in prison. There, Eddy met an elderly
When slavery was eventually abolished in capoeira master, and through the dance fighting
Brazil in the late 19th century, it was survived by saw his path to revenge. Eddy’s been bounding
capoeira. Capoeiristas worked as bodyguards, or around Iron Fist arenas ever since.
would organize public fights for entertainment. Most capoeiristas wear white; but Eddy bucks
Despite its beauty, the martial art — which gave tradition by sporting a leopard-print jacket with
formal slaves a means of resisting the ruling no shirt.
class — drove fear into the Portuguese colonists,

YOU DARE DEFY FATE?
SIGNATURE MOVE
RODEO

WORLD FIGHTERS
CHRISTIE
MONTEIRO
FIGHTING STYLE: CAPOEIRA
The granddaughter of a legendary capoeira master. She

began her path as a practitioner of capoeira when Eddy
Gordo, a pupil of her grandfather's, started teaching
her. Her grandfather had come down with a fatal illness,
and then suddenly disappeared... along with Eddy.
C
HRISTIE MONTEIRO STEPPED onto
the stage in Tekken 4 as a more lithe
stand-in for Eddy Gordo while he was
off on a revenge tour against some murderous
drug dealers. She’s also the granddaughter of
the capoeira master who trained Eddy in prison.
To repay his master, Eddy later trained Christie.
It was a noble gesture — and in keeping with
Eddy’s disregard for tradition, given that male
capoeiristas historically kept women out of the
martial art.
Unfortunately, it seems that Christie learned
Eddy’s lax approach to shirts as well as his
fighting skills.
GRANDPA...
EDDY... PLEASE
BE SAFE!
SIGNATURE MOVE
SHADOW DANCER

WORLD FIGHTERS
FENG WEI
FIGHTING STYLE: CHINESE KENPO COME ON!
F
ENG WEI’S THIRST for power is so
unquenchable and unceasing that he makes Bryan
Fury look downright complicated by comparison. Feng Wei had always abided
After Feng had risen to the top of his dojo, his master by what was written on the
Shinken (literally “God Fist”) confronted Feng for God Fist scroll: "Defeat all
fighting outside of the dojo. Feng killed him. other masters and conquer
So vast has the Tekken roster become that designers their styles; the perfect
have begun developing their own fictional fighting warrior transcends all to
disciplines. Though Feng’s metal arm bangles and become the Dragon God."
move list are based on the Cantonese martial art Having fought masters of
of hung gar, chasing a more powerful fictional many different styles, Feng
fighting style is central to Feng Wei’s journey. returned to his childhood
Having killed his master, Feng sought out the training ground to continue
ancient God Fist scrolls in hopes of becoming his intense training regime.
the most powerful combatant on the planet. But the Then one day, an unexpected
scrolls offered only a riddle: visitor appeared before
Feng: a mysterious man who
“Defeat all other masters and exuded strength. When the
conquer their styles; the man made it clear that his
perfect warrior transcends all desire was to fight, Feng
to become the Dragon God.” had no reason to refuse.
He accepted his opponent's
If Feng were to defeat all the
challenge in silence, and
other great masters of the world
prepared to battle.
— and all the combatants of the
Iron Fist Tournament — would he
literally absorb their techniques,
transforming Feng into a flesh-
and-blood Mokujin? Or would the skill he would need
to develop to defeat them all make him the best fighter
in the world by default? Not even Feng knows.
SIGNATURE MOVE
IRON FORTRESS

WORLD FIGHTERS
JOSIE
RIZAL
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: PHILIPPINES
FIGHTING STYLE: ESKRIMA-BASED KICKBOXING
L
IKE MOST MILLENNIALS, Josie
struggles to do her best for her family
by balancing multiple jobs. Unlike most
Millennials, Jodie’s jobs are modeling and
I GOT THIS! kickboxing.
Josie fills the Muay-Thai-sized hole left by
Bruce Irvin in Tekken 7. But Josie’s kickboxing
is styled after Eskrima, or Arnis, a weapons-
based Filipino martial art mostly focused on
defense and counterstrikes. During the Spanish
Josie Rizal tried her best
occupation, Arnis was banned by the Spanish
to support her family by
Army, so practitioners disguised it as stage
balancing two jobs. One
performance. Maybe there’s a link between
as a model, and one as a
modeling and kickboxing after all.
professional kickboxer.
Josie is named after Filipino anti-colonial
One day, while she was
hero José Rizal.
out running on her usual
training course along the
mountain roads, she was
suddenly confronted by an
enormous, hairy creature!
Josie screamed, and then
fled half in tears, but the
creature remained hot on
her heels. Realizing she
had little chance of escape,
Josie abruptly came to a
halt, then turned trembling,
to face her feral foe...
SIGNATURE MOVE
FULL BLAST KICK

WORLD FIGHTERS
KATARINA
ALVES
FIGHTING STYLE: SAVATE
SORRY, BUT YOU'RE

GONNA HAVE TO DIE.
L
IKE MANY OF her fellow combatants,
‌Katarina’s fate was shaped by her parentage.
‌ She doesn’t know her biological parents,
but she was raised by an adopted father who Katarina Alves lost both her parents
trained her to fight using savate. at a young age, and spent several
Savate, developed by French sailors, is unique years at an orphanage before being
among kickboxing techniques for allowing adopted by a man she'd never met.
practitioners to wear shoes. This suits Katarina, Initially, Katarina rebelled against
whose dress — like that of her fellow Brazilian him using a whole manner of profane
fighters, Eddy Gordo and Christina Monteiro — language, but the man's kindness
seems better fit for Carnival than competition. and patience eventually wore her
Yet Katarina manages to turn high heels from hard exterior down. In time, they
disadvantage to secret weapon. “Savate,” after grew close, though her penchant
all, is French for “old shoe.” for profane language remained.
When her adoptive father disappeared, One day, Katarina's adoptive father
Katarina entered the Iron Fist Tournament in vanished. As much as she wanted
search of him — only to discover that he had been to find him, she lacked the money
mutated into Gigas, a mindless and very red to do so. But then she learned of
force of nature. In Tekken, at least, orphans can’t the King of Iron Fist Tournament.
catch a break.
The savage techniques the man
had taught her gave Katarina
hope that she could win and take
the cash prize. The day of the
first match arrived, and the arena
was none other than the roof of G
Corporation's Millennium Tower.
When Katarina first laid eyes on
her opponent, all she saw was an
enormous hulk of muscle. There
was no way he could be human...
SIGNATURE MOVE
NIMBLE CUTTER

WORLD FIGHTERS
KING /
KING II
LET'S DO THIS!
King is not only a masked professional wrestler, but also the proud
owner of an orphanage. Recently, King's sworn friend and comrade,
Craig Marduk, as well as the man King called his master, both
engaged in a bloody fight which left them with critical injuries.
King desperately wanted to come to his friends' rescue, but knew
that their operations wouldn't come cheap. At the same time,
King's orphanage was in constant danger owing to the war that
raged between G Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu.
Finding himself caught between a rock and a hard place, King entered the
King of Iron Fist Tournament with his eyes set firmly on the cash prize.
THE LEOPARD LUCHADORS

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: MEXICO
FIGHTING STYLE: PRO WRESTLING
FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN / TEKKEN 3
F
OR OVER 100 YEARS, the lucha libre Fray was most likely the inspiration for the
has traveled Mexico, entertaining the blue original King. Though King’s mask was a bit
collar masses. Masked combatants took to more robust that the three-holed fabric and
a roped-off rink to compete in an operatic stage glitter masks of tradition (indeed, he seems to be
performance using a modifier form of Greco- wearing a literal leopard head over his face), he
Roman wrestling. The last masked man standing seemed to be a luchador in every other way. And
draws cheers and roses from the crowd, and yet King decided to take his pro wrestling skills
adoration for the colors stitched into his mask. to the Iron Fist Tournament, where he would
The luchadores are the precursors for modern, be pitted against trained fighters from every
branded wrestling, including the WWF and WWE. discipline. He was doing it, of course, to save his
In the late ‘80s, a new luchador stepped into orphanage.
the ring for the first time. His name was Fray Over the course of the Tekken series, the
Tormenta, or Friar Storm. No one knew it at the signature moves of real professional wrestlers
time, but Fray’s real name was Sergio Gutiérrez — including John Cena, Undertaker, and modern
Benítez, and he was a Catholic Priest. He had luchador Rey Mysterio — would be incorporated
decided to become a professional wrestler in into King and King II’s arsenals,
secret to raise money for his orphanage, founded King saved his orphanage by taking third in
under the Piarist Order. He would continue to the original Iron Fist Tournament. Unfortunately,
wrestle to keep the orphanage open for 23 years. after struggling with depression and alcoholism,

CHARACTER EVOLUTION
King was killed off-screen by Ogre in the lead-

up to Tekken 3. A former orphan from King’s
orphanage took up his mantle, training under
King’s longtime rival and tag team partner,
Armor King. King II continues to fight in the Iron
Fist Tournament in King’s honor and for the
underprivileged children of Mexico: a digital
Fray Tormenta.

KING / ARMOR KING / KING II

WORLD FIGHTERS

KING / ARMOR KING / KING II
SIGNATURE MOVES
ROLLING DEATH CRADLE
SCREWDRIVER
SPINNING THROW / GIANT SWING
EXPLODER
KONVICT KICK
BLACK BOMB

WORLD FIGHTERS
LUCKY
CHLOE
ARE YOU READY?
Lucky Chloe is a pop sensation, and the

face of the G Corporation brand. When
a mysterious man burst into G Corp and
took out guard after guard with dance-like
techniques, Lucky Chloe fearlessly walked
right up to him and blocked his path.
She threw the man one of her trademark
smiles and issued him a challenge:
Fight her, and if he loses he'll have to
work as her backup dancer! Without
caring if he'd accepted the conditions
or not, she prepared for battle.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: SECRET

FIGHTING STYLE: FREESTYLE DANCE, ACROBATICS
K
AZUYA MAY HAVE followed his father’s
footsteps in turning an international
conglomerate into a force for worldwide
evil, but he knew one thing Heihachi didn’t: If
you want to get away with the very worst things
imaginable and still turn a profit, you do it with
branding.
Lucky Chloe is the smiling face of the G
Corporation, a bubbly voice in a pink cat ears that
almost makes us forget that her parent company
is probably experimenting on real cats this very
instant. When she fights, her hypnotic dance
moves become efficient weapons — danger lying
just beneath the shiny surface, just like G Corp
itself.

LUCKY CHLOE
LUCKY CHUCK NORRIS?
PRIOR TO THE launch of Tekken 7, Lucky

was revealed as a new character in a 20th
Anniversary stream. The backlash was
immediate. Western gaming press was skeptical
of the sexualized, “kawaii” design, and fans
took her presence as a sign that Tekken was
trending further from the dignified roots they
held dear — the Tekken where buff, spiky-haired
men could fight a bear for control of a weapons
manufacturer and mean it.
Harada took to twitter to respond to the
backlash, stating that Lucky would be an
exclusive to Asia and Europe — regions where
she would be appreciated and accepted. For
North America, perhaps, he would replace her
with “muscular & skinhead character.” Western
gaming press doubled down on the controversy
by reporting Harada’s tweet as news. Backlash to
the backlash was immediate.
Harada was forced to clarify. He had been
kidding, of course: Lucky Chloe would be
available to Tekken 7 players worldwide. Harada
emphasized, however, that she would be only
one of many new characters. With a roster of
over 30 characters, not every player will love
every character.
Lucky has nonetheless become a staple
at conventions and competitions among
cosplayers. Though she might not look like a
traditional Tekken character, she is born from a
traditional Tekken idea. In a game centered on
Japan and Japanese characters, Lucky is of a
new wave of Japanese culture: idol anime and
Harajuku girls and increased foreign obsession
with Japanese fashion.
SIGNATURE MOVE
LUCKY CORKSCREW

WORLD FIGHTERS
LEI WULONG
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: HONG KONG

FIGHTING STYLE: 5 FORM KUNG FU AND ZUI QUAN
L
EI IS FROM Hong Kong and is a cop — known in his home city as
"Supercop."
While Wulong's use of kung-fu sets him apart at Interpol, it makes
him a welcome fit at the King of Iron Fist Tournament. But unlike most of
the other combatants, Lei isn't there for personal glory. He almost always
enters hot on the heels of a big case, ready to blow the lid off a criminal plot
(almost always perpetrated by one of the Mishima).
Lei has a tough go of crime fighting. He's often failed to arrest his most
wanted targets, and halted even fewer Mishima plots in his Tekken tenure.
Still, he perseveres.
Lei fights using Wu Xing, which literally means "Five Forms." The five forms
are modeled after animals both real and mythic: snake, crane, tiger, leopard,
and dragon. Wu Xing's myriad stances make Lei Wulong a difficult character
to master. Like their real-life counterparts, practitioners of digital kung fu can
take years to learn the proper techniques and counters for every situation.
After executing certain moves, Lei will sometimes grab his back in pain.
Too old for life inside the arena? Perhaps. But as long as the police officers
of kung fu flicks keep fighting for Hong Kong, it's a safe bet that Lei will, too.

CHARACTER EVOLUTION

LEI WULONG
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT
TO REMAIN SILENT.
SIGNATURE MOVES
WINDMILL
PHOENIX STRIKE
DRUNKEN RAPID FIST

WORLD FIGHTERS
MICHELLE
CHANG
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FIGHTING STYLE: XIN YI LIU HE QUAN AND BAJI QUAN
T
HE DAUGHTER OF a man from Hong
Kong and a woman from an unnamed Native
American tribe, Michelle Chang is one of the
few biracial characters in all of Tekken. Heihachi
Mishima sent Michelle’s father to America in
search of a powerful ancient artifact. He knew
there was a chance the mission would fail — but he
never anticipated his point man falling in love and
staying in America to start a family.
It’s never stated what tribe Michelle and
Julia are from (there are thousands), and
the ambiguity is only underscored by their
geographic background. Officially, Michelle
and Julia are both from Arizona. While studying
archaeology, Julia discovered that the forests of
her homeland are doomed by the encroachment
of desert and makes it her life’s mission to
reforest whatever region of Arizona she’s from —
even though, as anyone who has ever been to
Arizona can tell you, there aren’t many forests
there to begin with.

SPIRITS, GIVE
ME STRENGTH.
It also turns out that the ancient artifact Meanwhile, Julia’s status as an adoptive
Heihachi had been after was Michelle’s amulet, orphan comes close to touching on the modern
which was eventually passed down to Julia. plight of Native Americans, particularly the
The amulet was instrumental in awakening the generations pulled away from their homes and
Ancient Ogre from his slumber. However, both sent to government-run residential schools —
the amulet and Ancient Ogre are Aztec in origin; but her story so far stops short of making any
and even at the height of its powers, the Aztec profound statements.
empire only stretched as far north as central In Tekken Tag 2, Julia dons a lucha libre mask
Mexico — still significantly south of Arizona. and fights as her alter ego, Jaycee. Maybe there’s
something more to her Mexican roots after all.
JULIA
CHANG

WORLD FIGHTERS
MIGUEL
CABALLERO
ROJO
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: SPAIN
FIGHTING STYLE: BRAWLING
YOU LOOK LIKE FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN 6
YOU'RE READY
I
TO LOSE. F THERE WERE a Tekken yearbook, this
brash and chiseled Spaniard would certainly
be elected “Most Likely to Remove His Shirt
and Lead a Bench-Clearing Brawl During a
After losing his sister in an airstrike Football Match.” Miguel is less refined and much,
ordered by the Mishima Zaibatsu
much less trained than his competition, but
under the direction of Jin Kazama,
Miguel Caballero Rojo devoted his often succeeds through sheer aggression — and
life to seeking revenge. However, distractingly epic chest hair.
when Jin suddenly vanishes without When his sister was killed by a Mishima
a trace, Miguel's life purpose Zaibatsu bombing attack, Miguel vowed revenge
disappears along with him.
on Jin Kazama.
From that point forward, Miguel began Miguel’s lack of training give his fighting a
to wander like a specter from battle- uniquely rough feel. He’s strongest on offense,
torn town to battle-torn town. One where he uses his strength, cheap shots, and
day, as he ambled through rows of
dilapidated buildings, he stumbled
irrational confidence to beat down opponents.
across a strangely familiar hooded In his Savage stance, move cancels can lead to
man. There in front of him was none devastating high-damage combos.
other than his sworn enemy, Jin. Though in Tekken 6 Miguel debuted with a
Consumed by both euphoria and matador alternate outfit, it was scrapped for Tag
rage, Miguel becomes frenzied 2 and 7 to do away with the obvious stereotype.
and goes in for the kill. Or maybe after trying it on, Miguel vowed
revenge on Harada, too.
SIGNATURE MOVE
BURLA

WORLD FIGHTERS
SHAHEEN
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: SAUDI ARABIA
FIGHTING STYLE: MILITARY FIGHTING
S
AUDI ARABIA, SHAHEEN’S home
country, was first depicted in Tekken in
Tag Tournament 2. The level “Modern
Oasis” was built inside of an oil rig. Some pointed
out that having an oil rig as the first and only
representation of the Middle East in Tekken was
a reductive stereotype.
So when Shaheen was being created,
Harada made it a point to be transparent about
I DO NOT WANT TO HURT YOU,
the process, and encouraged feedback on his BUT I WILL FIGHT YOU IF I MUST.
character design from Muslim fans. The end
result was less flashy in style and in combat than
originally conceived: the shemahl and agal-
adorned Shaheen of Tekken 7. Shaheen has since Shaheen works for a private military
been lauded for his representation, even if it did firm specializing in the provision of
take two decades for the series to introduce a security services. During his time in
the army, he earned a reputation as
Muslim character.
an expert in one-on-one combat.
Shaheen is a former military man who worked
for a private oil company before his friend died One day, his friend and owner of a
under mysterious circumstances. When the company involved in the oil industry
died suddenly under mysterious
company was then bought by G Corporation, circumstances. In the postmortem the
Shaheen went in search of foul play and soon death was listed as accidental, but
discovered the true nature of Kazuya Mishima. Shaheen suspected foul play when his
But Shaheen is torn. His life and religion have friend's company was suddenly bought
taught him that revenge can only make things by G Corporation and the management,
all family members, resigned. He began
worse. It’s likely that passing this idea long to investigate the matter, and a relative
to anyone in the Mishima family would have a of a close friend confided in him that a
greater impact on Tekken than killing Kazuya demonic man was pulling the strings
ever could. at G Corp: Kazuya Mishima. Shaheen
struggled to believe a real demon
could exist, but his investigations
revealed that Kazuya could be
worse than any of hell's creations.
Shaheen was torn: Should he take

revenge for his friend's death by
destroying that demon, or not? Wracked with doubt,
he embarked on a solo mission to infiltrate G Corp.
SIGNATURE MOVE
HUNTING FALCON DIVE

WORLD FIGHTERS
WANG
JINREI
FIGHTING STYLE: XIN YI LIU HE QUAN
W
ANG IS JINPACHI Mishima’s best
friend, and the oldest playable fighter
in all of Tekken. He emerged from
STRENGTH seclusion to honor the memory of his friend, and
eventually helped rid Jinpachi’s semi-deceased
ALONE body of the Devil once and for all.
CANNOT Wang fights using Xin Yi Liu He Quan
WIN. (“Heart, Intention, and Six Harmonies Fist”),

one of the oldest traditional forms of kung fu.
His feeble frame belies his fluid movements and
devastating close-range game. Famously, his
first bid in the Iron Fist Tournament ended in a
draw with Marshall Law (which sent Law back
to San Francisco in shame), a nod to traditional
kung fu master Ip Man.
Jinrei’s story is so closely tied to Jinpachi’s that
other than their eternal friendship, not much else
is known about the old man. It’s difficult not to
wonder if Heihachi and Kazuya would have been
such monsters if only they’d had such a friend.
SIGNATURE MOVE
HEADLOCK TOSS

WORLD FIGHTERS
CRAIG
MARDUK
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: AUSTRALIA
FIGHTING STYLE: VALE TUDO
T
HE HULK FROM Down Under began his
Tekken career by killing Armor King — not
in a tournament fight, but in a bar brawl in
Arizona. He was found guilty of second-degree
murder and thrown in jail. First-degree murder,
of course, is premeditated, which would have
required that Marduk stop to think about what
he’s doing — something he’s dubiously capable of.
(Whether or not Marduk’s sordid origin story
I’LL BREAK
is intended as a slight to his home country of YOUR FACE!
Australia, which was founded as a British prison
colony, is Harada’s guess.)
Luckily for players, Marduk was released
from prison and given a second chance. No, not
at being a better person. At punching people’s
faces in — the only thing ol’ Craig has ever known.
Marduk’s fights using vale tudo, Portuguese
for “anything goes.” Low blows, pins, leg locks,
and high kicks are all fair game on the vale tudo
path to victory — really, anything short of biting
or clawing someone’s eyes out — making Marduk
the perfect representative of the Mixed Martial
Arts age.
SIGNATURE MOVE
SHIN BREAKER

EXPERIMENTS
JACK
It was no secret that G Corporation was locked in a power

struggle with the Mishima Zaibatsu. However, within
G Corp itself, another battle was raging: the battle to
create the ultimate next-gen humanoid weapon.
On one side was the development team behind the Jack series
led by Jane; on the other was the research team responsible
for Gigas, a bio-enhanced super human. With his massive size
and uncanny mobility, Gigas was hailed for his versatility in
combat, and some saw him as more than capable of dislodging
the Jack series from its position as G Corp's premier weapon.
Both teams entered their weapons into the King of Iron Fist
Tournament to decide once and for all which was the best.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: RUSSIA

FIGHTING STYLE: BRUTE FORCE
I
MAGINE SPENDING YOUR entire life There’s another side to this story, of course.
inside a dojo, waking up at 5 A.M. to train, Imagine being Jane, a physicist who was rescued
consuming a carefully regimented diet, by a Jack-2 robot as a young girl, and spending
sculpting your body, honing every action and all of your free time upgrading your oversized
reflex on your way to becoming one of the most rock-’em-sock-’em robot. All it has to do is beat
lethal hand-to-hand combatants on Earth, up some dumb humans and you — by proxy — will
then entering a tournament of the world’s elite run the Mishima Zaibatsu. But no. Each time your
fighters to prove your mettle—only to line up upgrades fall short.
across from your first opponent and see that Thankfully, Jane and Jack have gained some
they’re… a robot. recent job security at G Corporation.
And not just any robot—a robot created in a Jack’s simple moveset and brute strength
Russian lab for the express purpose of killing have kept him in the mix at even the highest
humans. levels of Tekken play. In fact, since Tekken 5, Jack
And yet, either due to pride or tournament has probably seen more action than any other
loophole, no human fighter has ever lodged a character at professional tournaments. So while
complaint against the 7-foot-tall murderbot’s maybe his non-human advantages may not have
inclusion. In fact, there has been a Jack in every paid off canonically, Jack and Jane can take pride
Iron Fist Tournament, each time upgraded with in knowing they’ve racked up untold thousands
new, cutting-edge murderbot technology. in real-life Tekken tournament earnings.
TEKKEN-INTS-06-CHARACTERS-EXPERIMENTS.indd 168 22/02/19 12:55

CHARACTER EVOLUTION

JACK
Their check, I’m told, is in the mail.
Originally a representation of Cold War Russia
— a relentless, unfeeling opponent, making use
of cutting-edge technology to punch the rest of
the world in the face — Jack has inadvertently
become relevant again in the modern political
landscape. Despite being continually upgraded,
Jack is a holdover from a bygone age of Russian
influence. He is also a comrade without a country,
having fled with Jane as her part-caretaker, part-
pet. But Jack also provides an oddly prescient
foreshadowing of the rising Russian mentality
that the Cold War never truly ended.
DEV / PLAYER QUOTE:

“I like simple, powerful characters.
I use Jack to lead opponents down a
path, and when they think they know
what I’m doing, I can use it against them.
—ANAKIN

JACK
Their check, I’m told, is in the mail.
Originally a representation of Cold War Russia
— a relentless, unfeeling opponent, making use
of cutting-edge technology to punch the rest of
the world in the face — Jack has inadvertently
become relevant again in the modern political
landscape. Despite being continually upgraded,
Jack is a holdover from a bygone age of Russian
influence. He is also a comrade without a country,
having fled with Jane as her part-caretaker, part-
pet. But Jack also provides an oddly prescient
foreshadowing of the rising Russian mentality
that the Cold War never truly ended.
DEV / PLAYER QUOTE:

“I like simple, powerful characters.
I use Jack to lead opponents down a
path, and when they think they know
what I’m doing, I can use it against them.
—ANAKIN

EXPERIMENTS

JACK
SIGNATURE MOVES
GIGATON PUNCH
PISTON GUN
DEBUGGER
JACKHAMMER

EXPERIMENTS
DOCTOR
BOSCONOVITCH
FIGHTING STYLE: EVERYTHING HE KNOWS
TREMBLE
BEFORE THE
T
HOUGH HE HAS the name and appearance of a mad
MIGHT OF scientist
‌
biggest
‌
— and he is one, kind of — Doc Bosconovitch’s
role in the Tekkenverse is to demonstrate the
SCIENCE!” truly twisted nature of Kazuya Mishima.
After taking over the Mishima Zaibatsu at the end of
Tekken, Kazuya kidnapped Bosconovitch and forced him
to develop a host of morally objectionable weapons and
experiments, including — but not limited to:
• Prototype Jack, a killer robot
• Roger, a boxing kangaroo
• Alex, a boxing Velociraptor
So in addition to being a kidnapper and warmonger,
Kazuya also seemed intent on pioneering a genetically
enhanced version of dog fighting. If that weren’t enough, he
also intended to execute the doctor when he was through.
Oh, how our hero has fallen.
Doctor Bosconovitch’s inclusion as a playable character
in Tekken 3 is a testament to Tekken’s innovation. It
would have been easy, and perhaps predictable, to make
Bosconovitch a trained fighter, ripped beneath the lab coat;
or to have him enhance his frail figure using some of his own
genetic modification and risky experimentation. Instead,
Bosconovitch fights with the innovative desperation of a
kidnapped 130-pound super-scientist. He ducks, crawls,
claws, throws test tubes, and does whatever he can to
keep up with Tekken’s host of intimidating fighters. It’s both
hilarious and refreshing.
Kazuya didn’t manage to execute Bosconovitch before
he could be saved by Yoshimitsu, who owed the doctor his
life. Years later, in Tekken 6, Bosconovitch would create
a lifelike robot recreation of his deceased daughter, Alisa
Bosconovitch; which would be awesome if it weren’t so
tragic.
SIGNATURE MOVE
PANIC DOCTOR

EXPERIMENTS
ALISA
BOSCONOVITCH
FIGHTING STYLE: HIGH MOBILITY COMBAT
A
LITA. MAJOR KUSANAGI. Android 18.
‌ The persocoms. Female murder robots
‌ are a common trope in Japanese anime
and manga. They tend to be as scantily clad and
kawaii (Japanese for “cute”) as they are violent,
and Alisa Bosconovitch is no exception: How
about some pink hair, high heels, and a miniskirt
to go with your shrapnel-riddled demise?
The logic seems to be that if you can sprout
rocket-powered metal wings and turn your
hands into chainsaws, you might as well sport
heels and an elaborate manicure—the better to
lull opponents into a false sense of superiority.
Alisa was created by Doctor Bosconovitch in
the image of his deceased daughter. It’s the kind
of creepy-but-sweet story that passes for
emotional in the Tekkenverse. Alisa
is powerful, but difficult to control.
Learn to execute her best moves,
however, and Alisa can dish out the
damage faster than you can flash a
I AM ALISA,
peace sign — all while remaining the NICE TO MEET YOU!
most kawaii killer robot in all of Tekken
(sorry, Jack).
An android created by Dr. Bosconovitch as
a bodyguard for Jin Kazama. Her design
itself is modeled after Bosconovitch's own
lost daughter. Her fighting capabilities
are extremely high. She can perform
attacks with high mobility using arm-
mounted missiles and thrusters.
SIGNATURE MOVES
DOUBLE ROCKET PUNCH
SPAM BOMB (HEAD BOMB)

EXPERIMENTS
YOSHIMITSU
I AM PEERLESS.
With Heihachi reinstated as the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu,

Yoshimitsu sensed something bad was afoot, and so entered the
King of Iron Fist Tournament as way of confirming his suspicions.
His infiltration point would be the Mishima dojo. It seemed
like the perfect location for collecting intelligence, and even
though the building would act as the arena for his tournament
match, Yoshimitsu approached from the air just in case.
When he entered the Mishima dojo, the place
looked as though it had been hit by a typhoon.
Waiting for Yoshimitsu in the gloom was a charming young
martial artist. Yoshimitsu couldn't say for sure, but he thought he
seemed a little "tense...". Though his looks were enchanting, he
also seemed dangerous, so Yoshimitsu braced himself for battle.
THE WEIRD WIELDER

FIGHTING STYLE: MANJI NINJUTSU
I
T ONLY TAKES one glance at Yoshimitsu the usual borders of the Iron Fist Tournament:
to see he’s not like the other Tekken fighters. into Namco’s other 3-D fighter, the weapons-
Just look at him. He’s so weird. I mean, for based Soulcalibur. In that series, the legend
starters, why is he allowed to fight with a sword? of Yoshimitsu gets it due. Yoshimitsu, it
Combat advantages aside, being a masked turns out, is not a name, but the title given to
weirdo has paid dividends for Yoshimitsu, who the wielder of the eponymous sword. Each
has become one of the most recognizable fighters wielder maintains the same appearance and
of the franchise. In each game, his appearance fighting style so that the long ling of Manji clan
changes — but he always wields his iconic sword members who take up the sword appear to be a
and always covers his face with a mask. single immortal warrior.
In the original English Tekken manual, In Tekken, Yoshimitsu seems to be the same
Yoshimitsu was described as a “Space Ninja.” man throughout — though it still may be that he
Whether or not Yoshimitsu is actually from is only the most recent wielder of the katana. In
space is up for debate. Maybe the phrase was the Soulcalibur series, the Yoshimitsu katana is a
mistranslated. Maybe it’s Yoshimitsu’s way powerful, demonic blade, thirsty for blood. This
of heightening his own legend. Maybe it just idea crosses over into Tekken 6 when Yoshimitsu
sounds cool. realized his katana was losing its strength, and
Regardless, having a weapon at the ready revealed that it retained its power by killing
has allowed Yoshimitsu to travel far outside evildoers.

YOSHIMITSU
Fortunately for his opponents, the Robin Hood confirmation that Yoshimitsu is an alien, although
of Tekken is not a bloodthirsty man, preferring to Tekken 7 has leant legitimacy to the idea by
use his skills to steal from the rich and give to the depicting Yoshimitsu as a many-tentacled alien-
poor. As such, most of Yoshimitsu’s moves don’t like human hybrid. Whether or not the tentacles
make use of his katana. are just a fancy costume is anyone’s guess.
He is, however, one of the first Tekken fighters And then there’s the matter of
to make use of difference stances. Moving into Yoshimitsu’s backstory. Many of
different stances enables a different set of Yoshimitsu’s plots are tied to Doctor
moves—an additional challenge both to learn and Bosconovitch, to whom Yoshimitsu owes
to counter. his life. For what, exactly, it’s never made
Yoshimitsu is a man who defines himself by clear. Is it possible Doctor Bosconovitch
his unknowability, and his fighting style is no came in contact with alien life and was able
exception. The most iconic of his stances is his to help it adapt life on Earth? Maybe. If an
Flea stance, introduced in Tekken 2. To get into extraterrestrial who had learned how to
Flea stance, Yoshimitsu places the tip of his be human from Kurosawa films happened
sword in the ground and balances upon the hilt. to come into possession of a demonic
Despite his title as Tekken’s resident sword, the result probably wouldn’t be much
“Space Ninja,” there hasn’t been any canonical different than the singular Yoshimitsu.

CHARACTER EVOLUTION
TEKKEN TEKKEN 2 TEKKEN 3

YOSHIMITSU
SIGNATURE MOVES
SWORD STAB
HARAKIRI
MOONSAULT SLAYER

EXPERIMENTS
BRYAN FURY
MWAHAHAHAHA!
SO, WHICH ONE OF
YOU WANTS TO DIE?
A savage fighter who uses a kickboxing fighting style.

He's reported to have died twice and was somehow
revived each time. He once belonged to an international
police force, but Dr. Abel and Dr. Bosconovitch made him a
replicant with a perpetual generator that keeps him alive.

FIGHTING STYLE: KICKBOXING
B
RYAN FURY IS a sadist. He revels in the “perpetual power generator” — a device Dr.
pain of others, particularly when he’s the Bosconovitch should really consider licensing to
one inflicting it. Apple.
Bryan’s taste for violence and misery might What Bryan lacks in internal complexity, he
have something to do with the fact that he’s makes up for in fighting prowess. His kickboxing
technically a zombie. In life, Bryan was an move set trades some of the speed and juggling
International Police Officer, shot to death in a ability of Hwoarang for some of the raw power
Hong Kong shootout. His body was revived by of Paul Phoenix, a combination that has made
Dr. Abel, Dr. Bosconovitch’s enigmatic rival. But Mr. Fury one of the most popular fighters in
there was a catch. Not only was what remained of the competitive Tekken scene following his
Bryan’s human empathy filed down to a nub, but introduction in Tekken 3.
Bryan’s reanimated body had a limited lifespan. The American zombie rage monster could
On the verge of a second death, Bryan go by “Fury” alone, like Madonna, but having a
was rescued by Yoshimitsu and taken to first name is a subtle reminder that he was once
Dr. Bosconovitch, who outfitted him with a human. Plus, it’s funny.

I’M YOUR WORST
NIGHTMARE.
SIGNATURE MOVES
JET UPPERCUT
MACH BREAKER

EXPERIMENTS
ROGER /
ROGER JR.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: MISHIMA ZAIBATSU LAB
FIGHTING STYLE: COMMANDO WRESTLING
R
OGER MAY BE a genetically modified kangaroo
created in Doctor Bosconovitch’s lab, but don’t let
the boxing gloves fool you — he is not a boxer. He
fights using “Commando Wrestling,” which incorporates
some of the heavy blows of trained boxers but with
fewer rules. He does, after all, have a genetically
enhanced mean streak.
After the events of Tekken 2, Roger was free.
He eventually managed to find a wild kangaroo to be his
wife (though it’s unlikely she would have understood
or agreed to the concept of traditional marriage). The
two of them had Roger Jr.. Junior is the spitting image
of his father, right down to the gloves, and fights along
with his unnamed mother from inside her pouch. When
Roger went missing, the mother-son duo fought their
way across the world and into the Iron Fist Tournament
in search of him.
But it turns out Doc Bosc had forgotten to engineer
Roger with a sense of fatherly duty: he had abandoned his
family to live the high life of a hyper-intelligent marsupial.
He did eventually become a part of Junior’s life, but his
relationship with his wild wife never quite recoverd.
Roger and his labmate, Alex — a Dromaeosaurid
dinosaur — both borrow fighting techniques from Armor
King, though a direct link between them and the Mexican
brawler is never established. In a nod to Jurassic Park,
Alex was created with found dino DNA, filled in with
genes from a kangaroo.
SIGNATURE MOVE
ANIMAL UPPERCUT

EXPERIMENTS
GIGAS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: DATA DELETED
FIGHTING STYLE: DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSE
T
HIS HULKING RED Gigas was once a man,
before he was captured and experimented
on, infused with DNA of other fighters. It’s
a scientific stretch—but of course, in Tekken, the
Devil is in the details — and the DNA. The point is
the result:in this case a fighter who is something
between Jack without the processing power and
Craig Marduk without the skin.
Gigas’ strengths are offense, where his powerful
moves can keep opponents at bay until it’s too late.
Though being rushed down by a monster of his size
may steer opponents to a defensive approach, that’s
a tactical trick that plays right into Gigas’ T-bone-
sized hands. The better approach is to go on the
offensive yourself, keeping Gigas off-balance and
preventing him from pulling off his most devastating
moves.
As a man, Gigas had been the adoptive father
of Katarina Alves. When he faces his daughter in
the ring, Gigas stopped just short of killing her,
indicating there might still be a shred of humanity
left in his weepy crimson exterior. DATA DELETED.
One of G Corporation's weapons divisions entered

their latest biological weapon, Gigas, into the King
of Iron Fist Tournament for two reasons: first,
to pit the strength of their next-gen humanoid
weapon against a similar weapon of G Corp's;
and second, to provoke Heihachi Mishima.
Ironically, the first battle was staged on the rooftop of
G Corp's own Millennium Tower, possibly in retaliation
for their affront to Heihachi. Unmoved by the striking
beauty of the skyscraper, Gigas awaited his victim.
SIGNATURE MOVE
OVERKILL

SORCERERS
CLAUDIO
SERAFINO
THIS IS NO PLACE
FOR AMATEURS.
The Sirius Marksmen, a secret society of exorcists, has

exerted a profound influence on European history for
hundreds of years. The most powerful exorcist of the current
generation is Claudio, who was visiting the Mishima Zaibatsu
as their groups join forces to subdue a certain evil.
After sharing information on the targets, Kazuya Mishima and
Jin Kazama, Claudio left the control room only to be confronted
by a young girl. He was about to call the guards when she
demanded to be taken to Jin. A plan sprung to Claudio's mind.
He led her to the roof, and with a grin
prepared to face her in combat.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: ITALY

FIGHTING STYLE: SIRIUS-STYLE PURIFICATION SORCERY
W
HEN YOU THINK Italy, you think in the sky, which glows in blue flame. Claudio
pasta. Wheels of parmesan cheese. keeps the spirit contained to his right arm, which
Wine, Venice, seaside Mediterranean is marked by tattered black fabric. Even that
towns, and — if you haven’t done much traveling fashion faux pas manages to work with his custom
in your life — adventuring plumbers. But what tailored white outfit—yet another benefit of being a
you may not know about Italy is that it’s run by a handsome Italian man with a great accent.
shadowy cabal of exorcists known as the Archers Sirius is commonly known as “The Dog Star”
of Sirius Marksmen. Claudio Serafino stepped because of its prominence in its constellation
out from the centuries old secret society and into Canis Major. Given that Claudio also has the
Tekken 7, where he presumably felt immediately power to subdue the Devil Gene, some speculate
at home amongst the convoluted backstories and that the spirit may also have something to
mysterious powers. do with the Kazama Clan. Though the Tag
Claudio himself is neither serious nor an Tournament spinoffs aren’t canonical, they
archer. His expertise is the exorcism of ancient may hold the clue to that connection — in those
evils — like Devils. He is also able to call upon the games, Jun Kazama became Unknown when she
power of Sirius, a holy spirit of the brightest star was possessed by a wolf spirit.
TEKKEN-INTS-07-CHARACTERS-SORCERERS.indd 186 22/02/19 13:16

SIGNATURE MOVE
SKY SLASH NOVA

SORCERERS
ELIZA
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNKNOWN
FIGHTING STYLE: UNKNOWN
FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN REVOLUTION
E
LIZA INTENDED TO take a short nap, but woke up 600 years
later to discover that her vampiric powers had all but vanished
(except, evidently, immortality). In hopes of restoring her powers,
she sets out to do as vampires do and consume the blood of victims.
But it seemed that restoring her powers might take something more.
Something… powerful.
HEHEHE… Eliza sought out Claudio, whose Sirius Marksmen fought against
YOU LOOK her undead clan centuries before, and enters the Iron Fist Tournament,
DELICIOUS. undead set on drinking blood strong enough to restore her vampiric vigor.
Eliza’s fighting style is similar to Lillie’s (in fact, it’s possible that
Lillie is Eliza’s distant descendant), but she can also cast ethereal
projectiles to keep enemies at bay like Akuma, the only other character
with this ability.
Of course, Eliza is also a vampire. Several of her grapples and Rage
Arts allow Eliza to suck the blood of her enemy and drain their life meter.
Eliza was only supposed to take a short nap, but she ended up
sleeping for 600 years. Upon awakening, she found her powers as a
vampire had faded to nothing. In an attempt to restore her strength,
she consumed the blood of several victims. However, it wasn't enough.
What she needed was the blood of someone with an intense spiritual
force? Maybe then she would return to peak condition. But did
such a person even exist in this era? No-one sprang to mind.
Left with no other choice, Eliza headed for the old HQ of the clan of
exorcists who had caused her no end of trouble when she last prowled
the nights. Perhaps some of their descendants were still alive.

Eliza entered the ring as the first original character of Tekken Revolution after a fan vote held at
San Diego Comic Con in 2013. Here were the other choices, as laid out by Harada himself:
SEXY FEMALE TEKKEN FORCE CHARACTER TOUGOU

A gorgeous and sexy female Tekken Force A fellow Tekken Force member and friend of Lars
member, she is loyal to the Mishima Zaibatsu, Alexandersson, Tougou joined Lars in the coup
regardless its leadership. against the Mishima Zaibatsu.
The original concept was proposed for Tougou appears in Scenario Campaign in
Tekken 5, but the clothing was too revealing Tekken 6. His fighting style is similar to Lars’s,
and the concept was scrapped for fears that but Tougou also uses the sword on his waist for
the game’s rating would increase. The concept certain attacks. He could also call in air strikes
surfaced again for Tekken 6 but once again failed via his radio.
to make the final cut. Since Tougou died in the game, he was never
There were several martial arts proposed implemented as a playable character.
for this character, including Silat, Krav Maga,
Savate, Taekkyeon, Systema, and Escrima.
ZOMBIE BRIDE
A zombie bride-to-be in a wedding dress.
SYAKE/SALMON The idea first came up around Tekken 3 for
A salmon. Just a salmon. the first fighting zombie in a game. The idea
Originally planned for Tekken 3, punch resurfaced again for Tekken 6, as the sister of
buttons would cause the Salmon to flop around, Miguel, who could be called as an air strike and
and the kick buttons would make it release eggs. came back to life.
However, arcades were still popular worldwide,
and charging 100 yen (1 USD) per play with such
a character was likely to be a problem. FEMALE PAUL
If the Tekken 3 arcade board is hacked, you For some inexplicable reason, Paul is
will notice that the character’s name remains in transformed into a very cute girl. The concept
placeholder data. was thrown out immediately.
FEMALE VAMPIRE GIANT PRAYING MANTIS

(A YOUNG GIRL, LONG IMPRISONED During development of Tekken 3, a bug caused
BY THE ROCHEFORT FAMILY) the joints of a character to move backwards,
A young female vampire that has been deforming the character model. It looked like it
imprisoned in a wing of the Rochefort Estate, would be a strong fighter, so there was a brief
where Lili was raised. plan to actually implement it, but the idea was
She has a dark personality, but her gothic discarded for lack of development time.
attire and uncanny beauty are mesmerizing. As with Syake/Salmon, the Insect blank data
During development of Tekken 6, she was can be found when the Tekken 3 arcade board is
proposed as a character that used an actual hacked.
martial art, but also wielded fireballs.
However, during development, many
members of the team got married or gave AVERAGE, RUN-OF-THE-MILL OLD MAN
birth to children around the same time. As a You average old man, like the one you find in
result, not many staff were left to complete the almost any neighborhood. He is not a martial
character, and she was discarded. The concept artist, so he is pretty weak.
was salvaged again during Tekken 6 BR, but the It was an idea mentioned early in the series,
same phenomenon occurred again and Harada and thrown out the instant it was mentioned.
locked the concept away in a safe, wanting to
keep it secured within the development team
since it seems to bring them good fortune. SHIN KAMIYA GANMI-CHAN
A classmate of Jin Kazama who appeared in the A teenage female Sumo wrestler who idolizes
3-D CG movie Tekken Blood Vengeance. Ganryu. The original idea was proposed for
A SALMON. The facts that Shin’s implementation would

impact the main story line, that he died in the
Tag 2, but was discarded in order to focus on
increasing the popularity of Ganryu.
JUST A SALMON. movie, and that he doesn’t know any martial arts
all make him a difficult character to include in
A character sketch was completed several
years later.
the game.

ASSASSINS
NINA
WILLIAMS
YOU'VE GOT A
DATE WITH DEATH.
After failing to apprehend Jin Kazama, Nina Williams decided it

was time for her and the Mishima Zaibatsu to go their separate
ways. On her first private assassination job, she was tasked
with infiltrating a mafia wedding... posing as the bride!
During the ceremony, a firefight broke out where Nina took out all her
targets. However, the commotion had attracted the Tekken Force,
who had been dispatched to suppress the violence, and they gave
chase. With the Tekken Force in hot pursuit, Nina made her escape.
That's when she bumped into a man she found vaguely familiar. The man
wouldn't leave her alone. He seemed to have something he wanted to say
to her... Nina decided that a confrontation was her best chance of escape.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: IRELAND

FIGHTING STYLE: ASSASSINATION ARTS
N
INA WILLIAMS’ VERY existence is conflicts. Heihachi and the Zaibatsu are merely
political. Nina is from Ireland. In Tekken representative of wartime Japan. Whether or
2, it was revealed that Nina’s father was not the Tekken timeline had a World War II of its
once an assassin for the Irish Republican Army, a own is never made clear. The choice to include
paramilitary group that believe Northern Ireland the IRA in Nina’s backstory is a break from how
should be an independent republic, free of British Tekken otherwise approaches politics.
control and influence. To achieve that end, the IRA Unfortunately, Nina is controversial for other
are known for engaging in violent acts, including reasons, too. For example, although Nina is a
the killing of civilians and public bombings. cold-blooded assassin, her ending in Tekken
At the time of the original Tekken’s involves an argument with her sister Anna over a
development, the IRA were particularly active, missing high heel.
carrying out bombings in nearly every year for Then, in the time jump between Tekken
the two preceding decades. 2 and Tekken 3, whereas most of the other
It was also revealed in Tekken 2 that Nina’s fighters merely aged up or were replaced by
father had broken from the IRA and gone into youthful counterparts, Anna and Nina were
hiding after having a child with a British woman. frozen for fifteen years. An interesting sci-fi
This makes Nina a living personification of the twist… and an excuse to keep the Williams
very unity the IRA opposes. sisters young and beautiful.
In a game dripping with allegories of war, It gets worse from there. While frozen, Anna
and shaped by World War II’s influence, there is and Nina were experimented upon. One of these
actually very little direct mention of real-world experiments involved removing an egg from
TEKKEN-INTS-08-CHARACTERS-ASSASSINS.indd 190 22/02/19 13:17

CHARACTER EVOLUTION
TEKKEN TEKKEN 2 TEKKEN 3 TEKKEN 5 TEKKEN 6

Nina, which was later used to create Steve Fox. NINA WILLIAMS
It’s a troubling violation, to say the least. And
even if that’s part of the idea — to add to the
emotional wallop of waking up under unknown
circumstances fifteen years later and being
forced to pick up the pieces — it’s a well-worn
trope amongst deadly women in fiction. For
some recent examples, see Black Widow from
Avengers: Age of Ultron, for which writer and
director Joss Whedon received an appropriate
amount of backlash, and Beatrix Kiddo from Kill
Bill. Nina even wears a tattered wedding dress
as an alternate costume in Tekken 7!
The idea behind the trope is essentially an
argument that a woman cannot be both deadly
and a maternal: that somehow those two
characteristics are inversely proportional; and
that having children, or even the idea of having
children, represents emotional weakness in her
otherwise cold, unfeeling approach to life and
death.

ASSASSINS
DEATH BY DEGREES
THE COMPLICATED CONTRADICTIONS
of Nina Williams were apparently too much for
Tekken to contain. As a result, Nina is one of the
only Tekken characters with her own spinoff.
Death by Degrees is an action game that dives
into her backstory and provides a vehicle for
Nina to exercise talents that are otherwise
reserved for Tekken’s rendered cutscenes.
Despite mixed reviews, Death by Degrees was
an exciting test of the Tekkenverse’s boundaries.
The game, originally announced with the title
Nina, is played with only the PlayStation 2
controller analog sticks. Nina’s preferred method
of covert ops is to break the bones of anyone
who would cross her path. Upon completion,
players can unlock “Anna Mode,” allowing them
to shatter femurs as Nina’s kid sister. And as an
extra nod to Tekken fans, one of Nina’s many
unlockable outfits is “Tekken 2 Nina,” which
changes the player character to the original low-
res Nina that appeared in Tekken 2.
It’s perhaps not a coincidence that Death by
Degrees was released in 2005, just after Quentin
Tarantino’s popular Kill Bill films starring Uma
Thurman as a deadly blonde assassin on a
warpath of revenge after waking from a coma to
find that her baby had been taken from her.

SIGNATURE MOVES
BLONDE BOMB
BACKHAND SLAP
ELBOW SMASH
JAB ROUNDHOUSE
IVORY CUTTER
POWER CHARGE

ASSASSINS
ANNA
WILLIAMS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: IRELAND

FIGHTING STYLE: ASSASSINATION ARTS
D
ESPITE HER OLDER sister’s
platinum blonde hair, Anna is a
brunette, probably because it was
the easiest way to differentiate them using
rudimentary PlayStation graphics.
Anna is further differentiated from her
sister by her playful personality. She is
nevertheless Nina’s equal as a killer and
assassin. Their sibling rivalry stretches back
(as it does with most kids) to their parents.
While their father trained Nina personally,
he neglected Anna. She instead learned
Aikido from their mother and parlayed her
inferiority complex into murderous prowess.
However, when Nina was captured by
Kazuya’s Mishima Zaibatsu and forced into
cryosleep, Anna volunteered to be frozen
alongside her.

CHARACTER EVOLUTION
TEKKEN TEKKEN 2 TEKKEN 3 TEKKEN 5 TEKKEN 6

ANNA WILLIAMS
TRY SHOWING
ME A GOOD TIME.
SIGNATURE MOVES
CHAOS JUDGEMENT
APHRODITE’S SCORN
HUNTING SWAN
BLONDE BOMB

ASSASSINS
SERGEI
DRAGUNOV
…
Sergei Dragunov entered the King of Iron Fist

Tournament on army orders. At the designated arena
of his first match, a woman appeared before him.
There was something strangely familiar about her...
It didn't take Dragunov long to figure out who she was,
and he wasted no time in readying himself for combat.

FIGHTING STYLE: COMMANDO SAMBO
FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN 5: DARK RESURRECTION
T
HE RUSSIAN SPEC Ops “White Angel Sergei Dragunov means to return the favor.
of‌ Death” might not look like much of a Sergei is unflinchingly loyal, only as evil or
dancer,
‌ but he cuts a mean sambo. That’s righteous as his orders. He’s the hyper-efficient
S.A.M.B.O., an acronym of SAMozashchita Bez Russian anti-G.I. Joe that was the stuff of Cold
Oruzhiya, Russian for “self-defense without War nightmares.
weapons” — not to be confused with samba, the In Tekken 6, civil unrest had swept across
popular form of Brazilian dance. The point is: Russia, caused by a tactical misinformation
Sergei is not a dancer, and he is definitely trying campaign mounted by the Mishima Zaibatsu, then
to kill you. run by Jin. Russia dispatched Dragunov to Japan
SAMBO was developed in Russia in the 1920s to destroy the Zaibatsu from the inside out.
and taught to the Soviet Red Army as a devastating Sergei’s powerful techniques have made
means of hand-to-hand combat. In incorporates him one of the more popular recent additions
a variety of fighting styles, favoring vicious to Tekken tournament play. He’s a terrifying
blows to sensitive areas designed to incapacitate opponent, and not just because he doesn’t
opponents and break limbs. Vasili Oshchepkov, speak. Or because of his dark, sunken eyes.
one of the fathers of SAMBO, studied Judo in Japan Or even because he’s named after two Russian
for two years. He was later accused of being a gun designers.
Japanese spy and died in a Soviet prison. He’d probably even be terrifying if he danced.

SERGEI DRAGUNOV
SIGNATURE MOVES
RAZER
RUSSIAN ASSAULT

ASSASSINS
RAVEN
FIGHTING STYLE: NINJUTSU
C
LAD IN BLACK and skilled in the art of
ninjutsu, Raven is Blade for the Devil Gene
set. Trouble is, being a ninja puts only
a partial emphasis on hand-to-hand combat.
Ninjutsu much more about stealth, evasion, and
covert retrievals. As a result, Raven is flashy in
cutscenes but difficult to control in combat.
It was later learned that Raven worked for
the United Nations as an intelligence agent.
Unfortunately, he likely won’t enjoy the fruits
of his many missions — at least not without
some Doctor Bosconovitch magic. In a Tekken
7 flashback, Raven and his men are seen
transporting Jin when he transforms into Devil
and takes down their helicopter.
Raven’s evasive capabilities make him
a primarily defensive character. Though his
reversals and parries rival those of any character
in the game, his offensive moves often leave him
open to punishment.
I CANNOT
ALLOW YOU TO
INTERFERE.

ASSASSINS
MASTER
RAVEN
FIGHTING STYLE: NINJUTSU
FIRST APPEARANCE: TEKKEN 7: FATED RETRIBUTION
T
HE OFT-ALLUDED-TO SUPERIOR of Raven, Master
Raven
‌ made her debut in Tekken 7. Other than shifting the
ratio
‌ of male and female characters, she’s similar to her
subordinate in style and substance. Except — and this is where the
“Master” part comes in — she’s better.
As the first character since Yoshimitsu
to come equipped with swords, and the
first character in the series with realistic
Black hair (sorry, Eddy), Master Raven is
visually dazzling on the battlefield: flipping
and flying with the grace of a ninja, swords IT'S JUST
and techsuit glinting against the camera, long BUSINESS.
black and blonde dreadlocks trailing behind her
like streamers of death. DON'T TAKE IT
Though not many top level fighters have had the courage to PERSONALLY.
try Master Raven on a big stage, she was quickly regarded as a
step up from her predecessor thanks to the added range of her
swords. Plus, she can teleport.
As an agent for the UN's intelligence bureau, Master Raven

embarked on her latest top-secret mission: Infiltrate the King
of Iron Fist Tournament and confront her assigned target.
In the frozen area that was to be her battleground, Master Raven
stood, arms folded, face to face with her subordinate's sworn enemy,
who simply narrowed his eyes and took up a fighting pose.

CROSSOVER FIGHTERS
NEW FANS
NEW CHALLENGES
O
F ALL THE depth and details that made
Tekken 3 one of the most indispensible
fighting games of all time, the most
endearing was a tiny dinosaur named Gon.
Gon was the protagonist of a weekly manga
strip by Masashi Tanaka. He could be unlocked
by defeating him in Tekken Ball mode, or by
achieving a high score in Survival mode and
inputting the name “GON.”
Gon wasn’t canonical, or very practical, but
he certainly was fun. Lining up across from Jin
Kazama as a stubby-armed, three-foot-nothing
dinosaur was worth the imbalance. It was yet
another example of Tekken’s sense of humor.
Flash forward 20 years, and unlockable guest
characters have become the perfect products
for gaming’s DLC (downloadable content)
marketplace. Tekken 7 launched with Akuma,
of Street Fighter fame; and has since offered up
Geese Howard of Fatal Fury and Noctis Lucis
Caelum of Final Fantasy XV as downloadable that the fighting game community would really
guest characters. Akuma even gets his own role like to see, but that particular IP owner wouldn’t
in Tekken’s story. sign off on being in Tekken,” Harada says.
Offering crossover characters is not only fun— Sometimes obtaining the rights is simply a
it’s a good way to attract fans of other games and matter of a relationship. Gon, for example, had
attract current Tekken fans to other franchises. made his video game debut in a Super Famicom
But it’s more challenging than it looks. game published by Bandai — years before Bandai
“We created the character from scratch, so and Namco had merged. In the case of Akuma,
all the character modeling, the animations, Harada’s relationship with Street Fighter series
everything, we did on our own,” Harada told producer Yoshinori Ono stretches back decades,
Gamespot in a 2017 interview. “And also, when culminating in the crossover game Street Fighter
taking new characters and putting them into our X Tekken.
game, obviously, the Tekken characters have a For Harada,
lot of techniques, a hundred or so on average crossover characters
per character. The 2-D fighters, they have their aren’t just a novelty.
very famous techniques that we implement first, They’re for the good of
but then we have to also fill out the rest of their the genre.
technique list with moves to mesh them well with “A lot of times, the point
the Tekken. Even before we get to the balancing is not to try to take the fans from
part of the development, this section alone is the respective IP and bring them into
quite the priority.” Tekken. It’s more, by adding that IP if fighting
And that’s only after all the complicated legal games as a whole kind of become more exciting,
stuff has been worked out. and you attract a newer audience that wouldn’t
“There might be a certain character that we have bought either game in the first place
would want to do that maybe the person on the because it’s so exciting, and that’s really what
other end, the other company and their licensors, we’re trying to achieve from a marketing goal,
might not be on board. Or it could be something especially,” Harada says.

CROSSOVER FIGHTERS
AKUMA
FIGHTING STYLE: SATSUI NO HADO
O
F ALL STREET FIGHTER’S characters,
Akuma is the most appropriate fit
for the darker Tekken universe. For
starters, his name literally means “Devil.”
Akuma descended upon the Mishima
dojo to deliver a message to Heihachi:
Akuma was honorbound by Heihachi’s
deceased wife, Kazumi Mishima, to kill
him and his son Kazuya. When Heihachi
asked why he waited so long, Akuma
cryptically replied, “I first had to secure
the rights.”
Okay, what Akuma really told Heihachi
was that Akuma was waiting for Heihachi to grow
stronger — a vicious taunt he backed up in their
ensuing battle. Akuma appeared to succeed in CAN YOU
killing Heihachi, leaving the dojo in ruins.
Heihachi’s encounter with Akuma reflects
WITHSTAND
the experience of Tekken 7 players. Between his MY POWER?
long-distance projectiles and his ability to leap at
his opponents in the style of 2-D fighting games,
Akuma proved to be a powerful new character.
A mysterious
Since his debut, he has been the subject of many
fighter… a demon.
tweaks and balance changes that leave him —
He finds himself in
though still very strong — balanced with the rest
the middle of the
of the roster. And as if to echo those changes,
Mishima blood feud
players later learned that Heihachi had survived
by a pre-existing
their epic duel.
relationship with
When Akuma sought out Kazuya, he forced the
Kazumi, Hehiachi's
younger Mishima into his Devil form. The result
wife. He makes his
of their battle — as well as the nature of Akuma’s
debut in TEKKEN
relationship with Kazumi, and the source of her
7 promising to
request to have her husband and son killed — is
fulfill a debt owed
left unknown. But money says it has something to
to Kazumi.
do with a bet Ono-san lost to Harada.

TEKKEN-INTS-09-HISTORY2.indd 206 22/02/19 13:52
ROUN D 2 :
REA DY ...
FIGH T!
TEKKEN 6
NEW SYSTEM, OLD GUARD
T
HE RELEASE OF Tekken 5 marked a
decade of Tekken, but the fighting-game
landscape had changed.
Outside of Japan, arcades were all but dead.
Tekken 5’s expansion, Dark Resurrection (known
as “DR” to fans), would be the series’ last
worldwide cabinet release. The console market
had supplanted arcades as the primary means of
release. Though Tekken games would continue to
be released in arcades first, those arcade releases
were more like beta tests than ever before.
The so-called golden age of fighting games
was also over. Where there once had been dozens
of titles competing for a large share of the video
game market, there were now only a few vying
for a share that was much smaller. With few
exceptions, the success of Tekken and Soulcalibur
meant Namco was its own biggest competitor.
Even Street Fighter, the perceived leader
of the genre, went almost a decade between
sequels: Street Fighter EX3, which was released
in 2000, and Street Fighter IV, released in 2008.
Tekken, on the other hand, released four games
in that span, including DR. Despite Harada’s brief
departure, Tekken Project simply never stopped.
Tekken was the top name in fighting games.
And among fighting game fans, Harada, too, had
become a household name. Even in his own home.
In the lead-up to Tekken 5, Harada was featured
on the cover of Monthly Arcadia, a Japanese
gaming magazine. His parents saw the cover on
the magazine rack and gave their son a phone call.
When Harada had first started working at
Namco over 12 years earlier, he had known his
parents wouldn’t approve of a career in video
games. So he had hidden it from them. And
the opportunity to tell them the truth… never
really presented itself. At least by then, his
success spoke for itself. He was on the cover of a
magazine, after all.
Harada has a personal connection to Tekken 6.
“If 3 was to destroy everything you’ve done He clarifies that, “It’s not that I think the game have to choose between selling to more
and start again, 6 was to take everything we had itself is the best. It’s just that I was the most customers on a dated console and delaying a
done from 3, 4, 5, and Tag 1, and make something involved — I had the biggest influence on [Tekken release to remain at the technological forefront.
even greater on top of that. So that kind of 3 and 6]”. And once again, though 6 wouldn’t be ready in
reflects the number of modes that were included, Tekken 6 was another opportunity for time for the PS3 launch, the choice was easy.
the roster, and the depth of customization. That a technological leap for the series. During Now, though, Tekken’s long history was both
was better than anything we had done up until development, Sony would release the an asset and a challenge. The past provided a
then,” Harada says. PlayStation 3; and once again, the team would foundation and a roadmap for the future, but it

Tek k en 6 | 209

Exclusive artwork for an UK's magazine cover

HISTORY
also meant some series-long hallmarks were

beginning to show their age. Sound effects, for
example, were beginning to sound dated.
“When I joined Tekken Project, since the basic
hit sounds were old — they had been used since
the beginning — I changed them to new sounds,”
says Sound Director Kanako Kakino, who joined
the team in 2005. “But, Harada-san said ‘Since
this change would affect the timing players
launch moves, please do not change them,’
and I gave up once.”
Tekken’s sound effects had become so
ingrained that they were about more than
nostalgia or aesthetics. Their timing was a cue
for players. Whether they realized it or not, the
right counter or the right sidestep could be timed
by the sound of a move. Changing the sounds
would change the game itself.
Still, PlayStation-era sounds on DTS
and Dolby 5.1-capable hardware hardly felt
appropriate. Kakino tried again.
She knew the sounds couldn’t be replaced, but
they could be upgraded. She took care to recreate
the classic sounds as accurately as possible while
upgrading them.
“After that, I’ve kept making small adjustments,
adding new effect sounds and those that are now
used for the series,” Kakino says.
The team added more to its character
customization features, popular in Tekken 5,
and continued to refine the interactive elements
Tek k en 6 | 211

HISTORY
of its arenas. They also added two key new most profitable toymaker. The growth of online in character merchandising and Namco’s
systems to combat: bound and rage. retail was a threat to Bandai’s continued financial strengths in game content — as well as its
The bound system gave each fighter moves success — just as the shrinking arcade game game development capability and its vast
that, if used at the right time during a juggle, space was to Namco. Though known in America network of amusement facilities — with
would smash their opponent against the for Tekken, Pac-Man, and a host of other games, the goal of developing synergies in the
ground and bounce them back up, making them Namco still relied on the arcades it owned and entertainment industry. In the medium
vulnerable to additional combos. the cabinets it could sell. The two companies and long term, we aim to establish a new
The rage system gave fighters a damage saw one another as kindred spirits — and as an business model to enable us to succeed
boost when their health reached a critical level. opportunity to adapt to a changing marketplace. amidst global competition.”
An opponent’s glowing health meter meant In a joint statement, the companies explained
they were close to finished, but it also meant a the rationale for the merger: For the Tekken team, the change signaled an
dramatic comeback was more possible than ever. end to the somewhat “loose” internal culture to
Fans loved the deepened yet familiar “In the entertainment industry which they had become accustomed.
gameplay. Though Street Fighter IV would be worldwide, global competition has “There wasn’t a whole lot of management,
released in the same year, the two games were intensified as technological innovations spur the company didn’t really oversee it that much.
met with fanfare in different keys. SFIV was the the expansion and widespread penetration It was actually kind of a venture project. So
comeback — the long-awaited follow-up for the of information technology networks. In we’ve always pretty much had control over it,”
old-school 2-D fighter fan. Tekken 6 was the addition, in the domestic Japanese market, Harada says. A merger of this magnitude meant
next punch in a relentless combo — the go-to of a the number of children has been decreasing development would be more closely monitored,
new generation of fighter fan who had only ever due to declining birth rates, and people’s that profit margins were more important than
known a world where Tekken was king. hobbies and interests have diversified. ever, and that a more corporate culture would
Despite selling to a relatively small player In order to continue to secure sustained soon become the norm.
base of new PS3 console owners, Tekken 6 sold profits, we believe we must win customers But it also meant — and this is the part they
exceptionally well. And it was a good thing it did. by aggressively promoting research and cared about most — that Tekken would continue
It was the first Tekken game release under the development and creating and providing for years to come.
banner of its new company: Namco Bandai. attractive products and services.
Though in America, Bandai is mostly known “The [new enterprise] will integrate and
for Power Rangers and Tamagotchi, it is Japan’s mutually complement Bandai’s strengths

HISTORY
Tek k en 6 | 213

TEKKEN TAG
TOURNAMENT 2
EXPONENTIAL COMPLEXITY DOESN’T LEAD TO EXPONENTIAL SUCCESS
“
A
FTER 6, WE WERE thinking what up, but for the team, it was also time for a new characters we hadn’t seen for a while, they were
to do,” Michael Murray says. “And a lot challenge. in. Even character skins. It was the biggest roster
of fan feedback was that they wanted One of the biggest challenges of Tag 1 was its we’d ever had.”
another Tag Tournament. And we thought, okay. expansive roster. Tekken 6 would aid the team The concept of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was a
It’s a good time.” this time around, as many of the character models matsuri — the Japanese word for festival. It would
It had been nearly a decade since the release had already been rendered for the PlayStation 3. be a celebration of all things Tekken, stretching
of the first Tag. Like the upcoming project, “Any character fans were asking for, Harada back to Tag 1 and back again to the series’ origins.
that game had been preceded by three games put in the game. He was like — I don’t want to To round out the roster, character designer
from the core series, during which the team hear any complaints of, ‘So-and-so character is Kousuke Waki (who worked his way up through
had refined and improved the one-on-one missing!’” Murray recalls. “So it was, whether it the team starting with Tekken 5) said he was
gameplay. It was a good time for a Tag follow was Jun Kazama or Angel or some of these other influenced by the style of Zack Snyder’s movies.

Tek k en Tag Tournament 2 | 215

HISTORY

HISTORY
The parallels are easy to see. Like Snyder’s where your partner jumps on screen, and how and all that, we’re talking about just your
films, Tekken had developed an aesthetic not of this happens when you’re at the wall or you’re average gamer.”
photo-realism, but of hyper realism: exaggerated doing a wall combo, etc.” This meant that no matter how many
musculature with oversaturated color that There was a lot to account for. characters were offered, most Tekken 5 and 6
showed the depth of every deltoid. For Murray, it was worth the effort. “It’s one of players were proficient with only one of them.
Even with the head start provided by the my favorites of the series. I actually liked it better And for whatever reason, Tag 2 players felt that
Tekken 6 character models, a roster of almost 60 than 7 for quite a long time,” he says. Solo mode wasn’t viable. It was a tag game,
was a steep undertaking. Not to be outdone, the But something happened after release that after all. But this attitude meant double the
Tag gameplay also provided the challenge the Murray, Harada and the rest of the team hadn’t characters, which meant double the learning
team had been craving. anticipated. curve — and it only got steeper from there.
“You could choose Solo or Tag as a mechanic. “The fan base increased quite a bit with The fans, it turned out, did not relish in
Solo, meaning I could choose Paul Phoenix Tekken 6. It was quite popular because of the learning the many intricate nuances of the game
only, and I could go up against your Devil Jin basic gameplay and a lot of the modes that as much as the team enjoyed creating them.
and Kazuya. And still theoretically have a good came out on the console version were popular “There’s just so much to learn about the game.
match even if there’s one against two, because as well. So a lot of the people at the end of Because even if you have one character there’s
parameters like health and damage were Tekken 6 hadn’t actually played Tekken Tag still so much to learn about the game — getting up
adjusted accordingly,” Murray says. “And at the Tournament 1. We didn’t know this at the time. off the ground, wall combos, move properties,
same time, there’s all the mechanics added on So they were used to using only one character sidestepping, there’s just so much to learn about
top of that. Like the tag combos or the move that usually: Their favorite. And granted I’m not the base game, there was just too much when we
you can use to interrupt your opponent’s attack talking about the people who go to tournaments added the tag mechanic. There were just so many
Tek k en Tag Tournament 2 | 217

HISTORY
gameplay mechanics geared toward the hardcore team loved it. Their most dedicated fans loved it. Mass appeal was a quality, and it was missing
Tekken fans, that I think it was off-putting to Famitsu, Japan’s preeminent gaming magazine, from Tag 2.
some newcomers of the series, and also people gave Tag 2 its highest rating of the series — a 39 “That was disappointing,” Murray says of the
who didn’t play Tag 1,” Murray says. out of 40. game’s sales. But when the team looked toward
“And because we spent so many resources “The people who love the game really love it, the future of the franchise, they were forced to
on that main portion of the game there weren’t but it just wasn’t a widely selling game,” Murray take a step back. “What made the game popular
as many side modes as we’d had throughout says. “And with the scope of development of a for Tekken 3? Tekken 5? Or Tekken 6 even. All
the series comparatively,” he says. Side modes game like Tekken, you really have to sell to a of the elements and things we learned from
were a feature that console players — now a vast wide audience.” Tag 2 kind of formed the basis for our decisions
majority of the Tekken audience — had come to The lower-than-expected sales of the game for Tekken 7,” Murray says. Even, or perhaps
expect, and one that kept them coming back to weren’t a devastating blow, but they were a especially, the things that didn’t stick.
the game. learning experience. The weight of the brand “And so far in hindsight it looks like it proved
Inside Bandai Namco, the team knew they and the company’s bottom line mattered more to be the right direction.”
had made a terrific game. The veterans of the than all else — even the quality of the game itself.

HISTORY
Tek k en Tag Tourn a ment 2 | 219

IRON FIST
WORLD TOUR
A ONE-MAN DOCUMENTARY CREW HERALDS THE NEW ERA OF TEKKEN
I
N 2016, TEKKEN 7 was coming to America, had started a YouTube channel called Hold
and Bandai-Namco intended to give it a Back to Block that focused on fighting-
rollout fit for a king. game communities. He covered events, held
They announced The King of Iron Fist interviews. Then he decided he was ready for
Tournament, an 18-event competition that something bigger.
spanned America and Canada, from coast to “My ultimate goal was to see if I could make
coast. Top finishers from each event would qualify a documentary on my own in a year’s time,”
for the North American Finals in San Francisco, Martinez says of his first film. “But in terms of
with a trip to the World Finals in Tokyo on the line. the movie’s goal, I wanted to make a gateway for
Though Tekken 7 and its expansion, Fated people to be able to sit down and watch this and
Retribution, had already been released in understand that, yes, Street Fighter is this huge
arcades in Japan, and there had been a smaller thing, but it belongs to this subset of games,
King of Iron First Tournament in 2015, the and here are all the other mini communities that
worldwide console release was still over a year revolve around this thing.”
away. And because of the ailing state of the That thing — and the movie — was FGC:
arcade scene in the West, Tekken 7 didn’t see a Fighting Game Community. The documentary
western arcade release. follows BlazBlue Evo qualifier Stephen
The 2016 tournament would be Tekken 7’s Barthelemey, known as Lord Knight, as he
true North American unveiling. attempts to win Evo 2015. Along the way, FGC
Many tournament participants would be takes viewers inside BlazBlue and broader
playing the game for the first time at their fighting-game communities and explores
qualifying events. They would have to rely on what it’s like to be a player and a tournament
previous Tekken experience and learn as they organizer.
played if they hoped to qualify. “Fighting Game Community was a project I had
To document the ambitious tournament, wanted to do for a very long time,” Martinez says.
Bandai Namco turned to a young documentary “There are a lot of docs that had come out about
filmmaker named Esteban Martinez. Martinez fighting games. And they’re all good, for the most

HISTORY
part, but there wasn’t that one documentary where possible, so I was kind of their guy. Anakin won the Final Round qualifier,
I could go, ‘Oh, I can show this to my grandma and “I was in their offices one week setting up punching his ticket to the National Finals later
she would understand it.’ Most of them got bogged the plans and everything, and the next week that year. But Anakin wasn’t satisfied. In order to
down in terminology and explaining what fighting I was at Final Round shooting the first video,” be allowed to enter more tournaments along the
games were — just too technical.” Martinez recalls. tour, he relinquished his victory. If he didn’t win
Martinez succeeded in his goal in making the At first, the documentary didn’t have a story another qualifier, he would be out of the National
film in a year. He also made the film completely beyond the structure of the tour itself. But Finals. Still, Anakin was confident.
on his own, handling all of the planning, filming, like all documentaries that find their way to “I didn’t even really look at it as losing my spot
interviewing, and editing, as a one-man crew. completion, the story emerged along the way. and having to win another tournament, because
FGC caught the attention of Bandai Namco. The documentary wound up revolving around at that point I had so many years of tournament
Not only did the film intersect with the Tekken Hoa Luu, better known as Anakin, one of the top experience under my belt,” Anakin says. “So any
fanbase, but Martinez’s approach was exactly Tekken players in the United States. time I had to put my spot on the line, I was able
what they needed. “Anakin is a wrecking machine,” Martinez to treat it like any other tournament. I think if I
“They brought me in and the said, “Hey, says, laughing. thought about the potential of losing I wouldn’t
we have this game called Tekken 7, it’s out in Anakin is a dominant Jack-7 player from have been able to perform at the level I would
arcades in Japan right now, and we’re thinking Atlanta, the epicenter of the North American need. The risk I didn’t really think about. Rather,
about doing a tour because we’re getting ready Tekken scene. He was already well established I was just trying to get as good at this game we
to announce in the next year or so, but we know as a Tekken player, but he became the film’s didn’t yet have access to.”
US players have been waiting for a long time, so focus entirely by accident. Anakin won another qualifier. And another.
we want to do this nationwide tour. But we also Anakin was one of the players Martinez had And another. Each time, he would relinquish his
want to do video at each stop, like a small little already become familiar with during his work on victory and enter another tournament on the tour.
documentary at each stop, and at the end of it FGC. So at Combo Breaker, one of the biggest While most players could only compete
we’ll put it into one large movie,” he says. early qualifying tournaments on the tour, Anakin when the King of Iron Fist Tournament rolled
“And they needed someone who could do this was one of his first interviews. through town — and most players who won
on a small budget — well, not a small budget, “And then he started to win everything,” those competitions were content to laugh their
but a tight budget with as little moving parts as Martinez recalls. qualifying win all the way to San Francisco —
Iron Fist World Tour | 221

HISTORY

Anakin’s unorthodox approach, and sheer and experience levels, then put into pools. King of Iron Fist Tournament, the documentary
dominance, made him the perfect central figure Players compete against the other players in reveals something else about Anakin’s play. It’s
for Martinez’s documentary. their pools, round-robin style. Then, the top not that he’s untouchable. It’s not that he never
Still, Anakin needed a little luck along the way. players in each pool are reseeded into a winners’ loses. But when Anakin loses, he knows exactly
“[Anakin] had told me he was going to CEO bracket. Bracket play is double elimination: why he lost — and then comes back and uses that
(another of the biggest tournaments on the losing in the winners’ bracket means a second against his opponent. Your strength becomes
tour), he told me he was going to keep dropping, shot in the losers’ bracket; but lose there, and your weakness. Your confidence from a previous
so I was like, okay, I’m going to do this thing your tournament is over. The Grand Finals are victory against him becomes your undoing.
where I don’t interview Anakin — Anakin is going between the player who emerged unscathed He does it over and over again throughout
to be this background thing where these players from the winners’ bracket, and the player that the movie.
are going to have to play him,” Martinez explains. fought their way through without a safety net in Anakin ultimately takes second place in the
“So the players I picked were Speedkicks, who the losers’ bracket. North American Finals. His bend-but-don’t break
I hadn’t really talked to yet; Mak (short for Anakin losing to Lil Majin in the Top 8 bracket ways take him far, but not quite far enough to
Maknificent), who had been to events and he had was a big upset, but it didn’t mean Anakin’s take down Jimmy J. Tran, or Naps, arguably the
done well; and everyone told me to interview this tournament was over. In the losers’ bracket he best Tekken player in the West. Still, the top
player called KoDee. So I interviewed all three would face three more players: Maknificent, three finishers all earned the right to travel to the
not knowing, especially the last two, what they KoDee, and Speedkicks. World Finals in Japan, where the competition got
would bring to the table. “All three of the people I had interviewed had much stiffer.
“I was hoping that one of them would play to play Anakin to get to Grand Finals. And I didn’t Japanese and Korean players especially are
Anakin. I was hoping that one of them would plan that at all. That was like hitting the lottery,” known the world over for their dominance in
make it into Top 8, and play Anakin at some point. Martinez says. “I was like, ‘I can’t believe this is competitive gaming. Tekken is no exception.
But what we didn’t expect was the player Little happening.’” Perhaps it was the wide-eyed excitement
Majin, a player from Tennessee who is really good If that bit of cosmic kismet weren’t enough, of competing in Japan against the best players
at Tekken. Him and Anakin wound up playing in there was one more narrative surprise awaiting in the world, or simply the increased level of
the first round, Top 8, and Majin upsets Anakin. So Martinez’s camera lens: The player waiting for competition, but both Naps and Anakin were
I was like, oh, this is going to be interesting.” Anakin in the Grand Finals was the only player quickly bounced from the World Finals.
Tekken tournaments typically go like this: who had previously beaten him, Lil Majin. “I put up a good showing for not having the
Players are seeded based on their current ranks In addition to his unorthodox approach to the game, but that’s no excuse,” Luu says. “Usually

HISTORY
you come out of it wanting to do better, no matter Ling’s seventh-place finish was impressive, these players come back. They want to prove
the experience. So that’s the feeling I got. It’s but also illustrative of the overwhelming themselves, against each other, to themselves.
kind of bittersweet, but I still felt proud.” Japanese and Korean dominance of the It’s worldwide, too. Even when I was at Global
But the Americans still had one last international Tekken field. But although they may Finals, everybody in that room, yeah, they were
representative. Many expected the Canadian seem hardwired for Tekken dominance, Korean friends and they had known each other all these
Speedkicks, to join Naps and Anakin at the World and Japanese players aren’t Jack-7s. They’re years through Tekken, but they’re still trying to
Finals, but he was upset by an unsung upstart real people, and a part of the same global Tekken beat each other,” he explains.
known as Princess Ling, or P. Ling for short. Not community as their American counterparts. In all his travels, that ambition was the uniting
content to merely be the surprise underdog, “I wish we had more readily available factor of Tekken scenes from Sacramento to
Rontray “P. Ling” Sherman finished the World translators,” Martinez says of his experience Seoul.
Finals as the highest ranking non-Korean, non- making the film. “Because the Koreans and “It’s a hungry community. And it’s one that
Japanese player. Japanese are looked at as the stronger players. has a little bit of a chip on its shoulder, because
“I got pretty nervous toward the end, because They’re always coming here, and they’re not Street Fighter has always been looked at as, like,
I just see all my teammates getting out, and necessarily bullying us, but they’re dominant. the fighting game. But this game (Tekken 7) in
suddenly I’m the only one left,” Sherman recalls. Especially Koreans. But the thing we don’t often particular, especially the way it’s presented and
“And then I was like, okay, no pressure, but…” He see is that everyone is friends.” the slow motion and the work that Bandai Namco
laughs. “It was a great experience,” P. Ling says. “All these players, they want to get better. is really doing with it, a lot of the Tekken players
“That was my first time going to a real arcade, They want to get stronger. They don’t back feel like this is their time,” Martinez says. “And
because I had grown up playing on PS2, PS3. And away from a challenge. Sometimes you get they are really going for it.”
I think it definitely made me level up how I play.” upset and get salty, and make excuses. But

While planning, shooting, and editing the videos
that would become King of Iron Fist Tournament,
Esteban Martinez traveled to eight matches
between March and November of 2016:
• Final Round (Atlanta)

• Northwest Majors (Seattle)
• Combo Breaker (Chicago)
• Canada Cup (Toronto)
• CEO (Orlando)
• Summer Jam (Philadelphia)
• North American Finals (San Francisco)
• Global Finals (Tokyo)
King of Iron Fist Tournament is available

to stream exclusively on Amazon.

TEKKEN:
THE MOVIES
THE STORYTELLING OF TEKKEN STRUGGLES IN ADAPTATION
F
OR ALL ITS unique features, what sets and vows revenge on his grandfather, who Jin The first film would the stage and introduces key
Tekken furthest apart from other fighting believes is responsible. The movie befuddled players. As the series went on, and there was
games is its storytelling. As early as Tekken action movie buffs and Tekken die-hards alike. more space, additional characters and some
1, the fully rendered endings for each fighter felt In a tweet, Harada expressed his disdain: of Tekken’s stranger details could be added to
truly rewarding. The fighters felt like more than “That Hollywood movie is terrible. We were expand the story in scope. Sort of like… well, like
violent avatars: they were characters. not able to supervise that movie (It was a cruel the Tekken games.
Compared to most other fighting games, contract) I’m not interested in that movie.”. In fact, if there’s anything the various Tekken
then, Tekken should be ripe for adaptation. The The nicest thing Harada or any fan has had movies have demonstrated, it’s that the best
general premise is simple. There’s the driving to say about the first live action film is that it’s storytelling medium for Tekken is Tekken itself.
tale of revenge, set against a tournament far better than the second, Tekken 2: Kazuya’s Peruse any Tekken wiki, and you’ll see character
(perfect for dramatic structure) and clashing Revenge, a sequel no one asked for and even chronologies shaped like Christmas trees:
martial arts styles to keep things visually fewer enjoyed. a simple focal point up top, with each game
interesting. It’s the stuff of classic kung-fu flicks, Though each Tekken movie adaptation is bad beneath expanding a little further, all the way
complete with heightened stakes, melodrama, in its own way, all three share a fatal flaw: none, down to Tekken 7, where each character has a
and even occasional slapstick. Yet attempts not even the anime, come close to replicating television episode’s worth of tale to tell. The
to bring Tekken to the silver screen have been the style and sizzle of the game’s combat. If the brief video endings of Tekken 1 have evolved
haunted by the fabled “video game movie” curse. fights were at least well-realized, bad acting and into something of an animated movie inside
The first try was Tekken: The Motion Picture, obtuse plotting would be forgiven. Yet the best each new game.
an anime from Studio Deen. Tekken: The Motion any of them could manage were references to Nowhere is this more apparent than Tekken
Picture mostly follows the plot of the first the games you’d rather be playing. 7’s final battle between Kazuya and Heihachi.
game, with roles and fighting cameos for all the They’ve also tripped over Tekken’s In it, the cinematic conflict between father and
original characters. The film incorporates a few expansive world. Let’s face it: Tekken is a lot. son is integrated seamlessly into the gameplay.
pieces of lore, but at a mere 54-minute runtime, A lot of characters, and a lot of details. Just It’s the most basic kernel of Tekken’s plot is
details are packed in to the point of dramatic beneath that deceptively simple premise, recatalized and recontextualized into its deepest
weightlessness. there are robots, genetically engineered and most beautiful telling.
It would be another decade before anyone boxing dinosaurs, , varyingly literal religious As it should be: that climactic battle is the
attempted live action adaptation. Tekken was allegories, international geopolitical stakes, and culmination of over 20 years of storytelling and
released in 2009, directed by Dwight H. Little. hyperintelligent bears. Omit too many, and you technological advancements.
The movie stars Jon Foo as Jin Kazama, and risk disappointing fans and betraying the source “Between you and me,” says Visual Production
the plot is more or less a loose mixture of Jin’s material. Try to weave everything into an hour or Manager Kousuke Waki, “after the release I
backstory with Kazuya’s. Jin’s mother, Jun, is two, and the result will be an unfocused mess. drank sake at home and I played Tekken 7. And
killed — but not offscreen by Ogre as in Tekken It’s not difficult to imagine a The Fast & The watching this scene, tears came down.”
3. Instead, Jin sees her murdered in front of him Furious trajectory for a Tekken film franchise.

HISTORY
Tek k en:the Movies | 227

TEKKEN 7 Tekken 7 character designs
TEKKEN CORKSCREW KICKS ITS WAY INTO THE MODERN WORLD
W
HEN TEKKEN WAS conceived, Now Tekken needed to evolve to meet what the Ikeda, who joined Tekken Project during the
there was no such thing as “eSports.” gaming world had become. development of Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Tekken was simply a competitive game “Tekken isn’t just a legacy fighter like many,” When talking about Tekken 7, the team talks
by its nature, designed with one-on-one fights in Harada says. “The direction, especially of [Tekken about the concept of “exhilaration” a lot. A lot.
mind — and, with any luck, local arcade meetups 7], is very modern. In fact, for this game, a lot They say it so often it’s surprising the word
and informal tournaments would follow. It was a of the design was focused around not just the hasn’t lost meaning for them. It’s like a mantra;
fighting game, not a “sport.” excitement of the person playing the game, but inexorably linked to the concept of Tekken itself.
When Tekken 7 entered development over 20 also the excitement people watching, so that they As a longtime fan of 2-D fighting games
years later, the landscape of games had changed. can be linked to the players as they’re playing the and action games, Ikeda began working on
Twitch and YouTube streamers were an industry game. Which is really reflective of how people are implementing a slow-motion system — points
unto themselves. Pro gamers, tournaments with enjoying games in the current environment.” in the battle where the game would slow down,
stadium seating, and sponsored tournaments “When I joined Tekken project for the first zero in on the impending move, and create a
with six-figure purses had become the norm. time, my senior told me that the most important sense of anticipation. To understand how well
The gaming world had evolved to meet what point for Tekken is exhilaration. We’ve tried hard that mechanic works, all you need is to see it
Tekken had been before there was a name for it. to improve this part,” says Game Director Kohei happen once in a crowded room, and hear the

Tek k en 7 | 229

HISTORY
cacophonous “Ohhhhhhh!” of the crowd to know These powerful moves can only be executed Jun Yasuda was a famous pro player known as
it works. It’s, in a word… exhilarating. when your fighter is low on health — but if they Mishimastar. According to Yasuda, features like
“Since timing is important for fighting games, land, they can easily turn the tide of the battle. Rage Arts “were intentionally developed for
in order to implement those additional features, “They have a showy effect so that audience game audience. Even people who watch battles
I had carefully checked out users’ reaction in can easily understand those are awesome for the first time can enjoy watching battles
Japanese arcade center during its location test moves, and by limiting when they can be used, and understand that something awesome has
and improved those features in ideal way,” Ikeda come-from-behind win situation happens more happened.”
says. “I created this feature with Harada-san often, so that exciting moments are increased “That kind of excitement and level of intensity
and the programmer Kudo-san together, and I’m until the end,” Ikeda says. affects people watching the match as much as the
proud of this. Regardless of being the one who Rage Arts also slow down the game and draw players. And that’s probably not something you
created this feature, when this effect happened the camera’s focus, regardless of whether or not can get as much in other fighters,” Harada says.
in battles at Evo, I was excited with the audience the move will hit. The “will it, won’t it” wrinkle The concept of eSports didn’t rise in a vacuum,
to hear them making that noise.” only adds to the anticipation. or even simply because the popularity of games
Rage Arts are another example. Before joining the team during Tekken 6, increased. It rose because of the internet.

HISTORY
Tek k en 7 | 231

HISTORY

HISTORY
Making a competitive game like Tekken When a counter to a 15-frame drop (there the team in 2002 during the development of
playable online is a no-brainer. But implementing are 60 frames per second) can be the difference Tekken 4. The anticipation of the game — and the
online gameplay has always been a challenge. between victory and defeat, even the slightest online feature — was huge. The exhausted team
Each move in Tekken takes up a certain lag can affect an entire match. wasn’t able to achieve stable matchmaking until
number of frames of animation. The practical Nonetheless, the Tekken team decided to minutes before the doors opened.
applications are obvious: Some moves take implement online play in their Tekken 7 cabinets The crisis was temporarily averted. When the
longer than others, which means different in Japan and Korea. Their vision was a game that game launched in Korea, however, the problems
timing for blocks, sidesteps and counters. But could be played competitively in two different resurfaced.
dedicated Tekken players learn these frame arcades far apart. In a world with fewer arcades “Our engineers had to carry the dev kits and
counts to know exactly how long moves will and fewer cabinets, the world would become the fly to Korea for the investigation,” Kudo recalls.
take, and exactly what blocks, sidesteps and arcade. It would be a first for the series. After many sleepless nights, they were able to
counters to use. Such counters are actually The first day of Tekken 7’s location test, there solve the matchmaking issues. For most serious
built into the game engine. Blocking a move, for was a line of players outside the arcade, anxious Tekken players, though, online play is a novelty
example, will cause the blocked player to “drop to try the new game. Inside, however, the mood — or a means to stream. Real competitions
frames,” meaning that the number of frames was dour. The cabinets’ network functions will always be played in person, with both
remaining in the move after being blocked are weren’t working. The team had been up for days competitors on the same console.
dropped, leaving an opportunity for the blocking trying to fix it. Stressful as they may have been, the
player to “punish” their opponent. Knowing “There are always difficulties come with network issues were ultimately a minor speed
whether an opponent has dropped 15 frames online portions, since we aren’t able to see bump on the series’ longest ever development
or 30 dictates what counter a player can get in issues until the game release in the market,” cycle. Tekken 7 continued the team’s tradition
before the opponent has recovered. says Yukio Koshiba, a designer who joined of releasing in arcades as a sort of beta for
Tek k en 7 | 23 3

HISTORY
the console release. This time, though, there of Tekken 7: Fated Retribution made its way to learned all of the mechanics and all of the rules
wouldn’t be months in between arcade and consoles. of Tekken 7, so adding characters and content
console releases — there would be years. “The game changed quite a bit,” Murray says. just seems like the natural approach.”
Development of the arcade release Even as late as mid-2018, the team was still That puts the continuous development of
began in 2013 after the release of Tekken developing downloadable content (DLC) for the Tekken 7 at 5 years and counting. In that same
Revolution for PS3, and continued after Tekken game, adding new characters and arenas. length of time in the late ‘90s, the Tekken team
7 hit the arcades in 2015, at which point the “It’s quicker than making a brand new game, churned out Tekken, Tekken 2, and Tekken 3,
team began developing both the expansion and for people who already made an investment and were in mid-development on Tekken Tag
(Fated Retribution) and the console release in the game itself — DLC is a better option for a Tournament. That difference has a lot to do with
simultaneously. It would be another two years lot of people than buying a brand new game. the changing game marketplace, like DLC. It also
— not until June of 2017 — before the content Plus with a fighting game, people have already indicates the increased complexity of modern

HISTORY
Tek k en 7 | 235

HISTORY

HISTORY
graphics and the expanding scope of games. his team remain their own harshest critics. So it seems like people are happy mostly with
More time did not mean the development was The core gameplay has excited lifelong Tekken Tekken 7,” Murray says.
any less fraught. fans and brought new competitors into the fold. The proof, as it’s always been with Harada,
“There were a lot of problems in development Ultimately, it is the preeminent realization of the is in the numbers. Tekken 7 has sold nearly 3
of Story Mode. All members in charge of this series ongoing goal: To be true to what Tekken is million copies worldwide, surpassing every
part gathered a lot, discussed solutions, while pushing it forward into the next generation. game in the series since Tekken 5 (and pushing
and confirmed processes again and again,” There are big, sweeping innovations — like all-time sales for the series ever closer to 50
Nakabayashi says. “Personally, what I remember the final battle between Kazuya and Heihachi — million). It has ascended back to the top of
most, was the last part of the development. In and small ones, like the ability to choose your competitive circles. Each year, the World Tour
order to catch up the delay, I left most of the character’s starting side. grows in competitors and scope.
parts to Ikeda-san, and worked on scripting from “For common fighting games, characters As for their goal of making a game that is as
morning till late night for 2 weeks.” would be at the right side or left side. Since some exciting to watch as it is to play? All one has to do
“Because of its scenario delay, the players are good at fighting at right side or left is attend a tournament and listen to the crowd.
development time for Story Mode was hugely side, there are advantages or disadvantages in “The schedule of development was very hard.
reduced,” Waki says. “Because of that, the the game. Since I had been thinking to solve this Almost impossible,” says team visual artist,
quantity of the scenario was reduced, and some issue for long time, I introduced a new system Kenji Kimura. “After the development, I thought
movie parts were cut.” With pictures based on in which users can pick up their favorite side,” I should take a rest in Rivendell from The Lord of
planned movie parts put in their place. “Additional Koshiba says. the Rings.”
stories planned during the development term There is plenty of which the team can be proud. Perhaps the burden of the game wasn’t
were given up. This is the regret I have most. “We saw a lot of old school players coming quite as great as the One Ring. But even still, it
I hope that we would have depicted all of Tekken back to the game that weren’t necessarily felt pretty good to cast it into the bottom of an
stories by high-quality 3-D CG movies.” happy with Tag 2. They like one-on-one, and active volcano.
And yet, these are the nitpicks of creators, they like the strategic choices in the battle and They had done it. And it was time to get ready
unseen to most outside observers. Harada and they just felt it was more streamlined. for the next battle.
Tek k en 7 | 237

PROVING
GROUNDS
SEOUL
Q
UDANS. SAINT. JDCR. KNEE.
These players have dominated the top
of the Tekken world rankings for years.
And they all have one thing in common: They’re
Korean.
It’s no secret that Korea is a powerhouse when
it comes to competitive gaming. Tekken is no
exception. The world rankings are crowded with
Korean players, including a noticeable cluster
at the top, with a few Japanese, and even fewer
American players mixed in the highest ranks.
“You don’t even really get a full picture of
how dominant they are until you go there,” says
Anakin. “Because only their top guys really
travel. So when you go to play in Seoul, you’ll
run into all sorts of really, really strong players
you’ve never even heard of before.”
Seoul, the capital of both the nation and the
Tekken scene of South Korea, is a densely packed
metropolis that rivals even Tokyo in its number
of arcades and competitive gaming spaces. In
Korea, being a professional gamer is seen as a
viable career choice; and fans fill stadiums to
watch their favorite players dominate Starcraft 2,
Fortnite, and, of course, fighting games.
In central Seoul, there’s one arcade in
particular that is a bastion of Tekken talent.
It doesn’t look much like an arcade in the
traditional sense. No black walls or neon lights
or claw games. From the outside, you might
confuse it for a convenience store unless you
know what you’re looking for. Inside, it looks
more like someone’s large, finished basement,
with white walls and drop ceilings — only this
particular basement contains at least 20 Tekken
cabinets at any given time.
Welcome to Green Arcade.
All the top Korean players have honed their
skill here. For most visitors, the long rows
of Tekken 7 cabinets and stools are a mere
spectacle. Sitting down to play requires courage
— and considerable skill. Even the most casual
player at Green eats and breathes Tekken in a way
few players from the West can even imagine.
So bring your camera. Take a seat. And
prepare to say you’ve been beaten by one of the
very best players in the world.

HISTORY
TOKYO
W
HEN THE FIRST Tekken was But other than drawing players to this new
released, it was an unlikely underdog. fighting game, there was a method to Harada’s
Namco was a big, successful company, game-center madness. Spending days playing
fighting to take the lead in 3-D graphic technology, Tekken might have seemed like a lot of fun — and it
but it would take more than that to stand against was — but Harada was also collecting information.
the likes of Street Fighter. Harada realized that the He wanted to look players in the eye as they
key to the game’s success would lie not within the played. He wanted to see the way they reacted.
walls of Namco HQ, but with the fans. What did fans love about the game? What did they
Fresh from the cabinet sales team, Harada love about that particular fighter? This particular
joined Namco’s arcade division and initiated an move? What made them frustrated?
unprecedented, boots-on-the-ground approach. Gathering on-location player feedback gave
“Obviously our company was trying to make a Namco the tools they needed to secure their
fighting game, but we weren’t really the the big place in a competitive market. And it earned
game that it is now. So he was on the location Harada distinction within the company.
side of it,” Michael Murray says. “So he was “This method was totally new in the ‘90s,
actually an arcade employee and he would run and by doing this, I succeeded in convincing
these tournaments.” programmers, artists, sound designers, and
Harada set up shop in an arcade in Shinjuku, planners,” Harada says of his approach to the
Tokyo, called Play Max. “That was the mecca at game. It was the first step in his path toward
the time,” Murray says. There, Harada would play becoming the decades-long shepherd of Tekken.
against newcomers and aspiring pros alike. He Play Max has since closed. Even in Japan,
wasn’t unbeatable, but he was strong enough to arcades are fading away. The hallowed ground
intrigue challengers. At tournaments, he would for Tekken players has moved to Sugamo, Tokyo,
even dress up as Heihachi Mishima for extra where you can find an arcade just beneath the
impact. train station filled with Tekken cabinets and
“He had a costume. He even made this players. There’s even a Tekken Museum, with
detailed wig — bald in the middle with spikes of iconography and memorabilia from throughout
hair on each side,” Murray says. the franchise.
Harada’s eccentric presence and contagious “That one’s one of [Namco’s], so it’s obviously
enthusiasm earned him the nickname “Shinjuku easier to keep it running,” Murray says.
Heihachi,” a persona that has become the stuff of
fighting game legend.
Proving Grounds | 239

THE FUTURE
OF TEKKEN
I
N SURVIVING A QUARTER of a century,
Tekken has already surpassed expectations of
the industry, its players, and even its former
team members. Its staying power isn’t evidence
of stagnation, but proof of a franchise that has
continued to evolve. But how long does Tekken
have? If it’s lasted this long, can it last another 25
years? 50?
“It’s hard to say,” Harada muses. “Obviously
I probably won’t be involved in the series at that
age. It’s even harder because, will people still
be playing around a TV or a monitor or the same
kind of platform they use today? It’s hard to say.
One thing I can say for sure is it will probably
be influenced by AI. Maybe you would have
an AI rival who seems just as human as a real
opponent. And one of the reasons is that fighting
games is most enjoyable to play against someone
who is exactly the same skill level as you. So
the AI can perfectly match your skill level. But
on another front, 40 years from now we’ll be
very old people, so we might not have the same
execution as we do today. But you may still have
somewhat of a sharp mind, so they AI may be able
to help you implement what you’re trying to do
and the strategy, without having to have the same
execution. So you could have a really good battle
between two old dudes because the AI could help
translate what you’re trying to do.”
No matter the method of input, it’s not difficult
to imagine Harada continuing to play Tekken
long into his twilight years (and continuing to
have strong opinions about the direction of the
franchise). Which is why even after he’s gone,
as long as his philosophy lives on — and the team
continues to balance the essence of game to
which he dedicated his life with the feedback of
fans that have kept it alive — so, too, will Tekken.

FIGURES AND
STATUES
I
T’S BEEN SAID that a great character design is one still
recognizable in silhouette. These days, that bar may have
risen to how well a character design translates into a Funko
Pop! Everyone from SpongeBob SquarePants to Bob ross have
been a part of the cutesy, super-deformed vinyl toy line, and the
combatants of the Iron Fist Tournament are no exception.
Toys of Tekken characters are nothing new. T-shirts, action
figures, statues, joysticks, pens, pins — you name it, the Tekken
characters have been emblazoned on them all. And if you turn one
of those pins around? You’ll probably still recognize the iconic
hairline of one Heihachi Mishima.

Tekken 6
Marshall Law
Statue
Figures A nd S tatues | 24 3

Tekken 3 Jin Kazama Statue
Tekken 5: Dark Ressurrection King Statue
Tekken 5 Jin Kazama Statue

Figures A nd S tatues | 24 5

INTERVIEW WITH
KATSUHIRO HARADA
You’ve made it well known that Heihachi Mishima What do you remember most about
is your favorite character. What is it about him development on Tekken 1 & 2? How were you
you love? Why do you find him so compelling? able to stick it out and rise above others in such
Heihachi Mishima somehow mirrors my thoughts. a fast-paced, relentless environment?
For example, his father became a monster, and From fighting game perspective, we were way
his wife became a devil, and his son, too. And, his behind compared with other companies, and
grandson became a devil as well. But, Heihachi so we were in the position to following other
is still a human. He is a human living a real world, fighting games in competition scene. But at
although he lives in the world where science- that time, NAMCO was very much engaged in
fiction, fantasy, and occult are mixed. developing polygon games. Transferring from
I myself am interested in mysterious power, 2-D to 3D, NAMCO had a strong relationship
like occult stuff, and do some research on with Kutaragi at Sony Computer Entertainment
them, but I won’t be affected by them. Again, and apparently took a lead on the industry from
Heihachi is only one depicted as a human technology perspective. Since our technology
in Mishima family. He has humane honest had drew so much attention, NAMCO became
characteristics in that human’s internal the company to take the lead in the polygon age.
horrible lusts and ugliness are depicted. Although there were huge development costs,
That’s why I’m drawn to him. many arcade boards called System 11 and 12
had been sold and contributed to our sales.
Who is your least favorite character in Since those system boards co-developed by
Tekken? Why? NAMCO and SONY, with PlayStation chips, were
There is no character I hate. All of much cheaper than original board NAMCO had
characters are my family members. developed, they sold really well.

Scenes from the Tekken 7: Fated Retribution opening cinematic.
When you’re starting a new Tekken, where do you You’d rather beat them at a game? So that maybe as people — people can have a
start? New mechanics? Advance the story? Is it It was quite interesting — you wouldn’t really romance with an AI, that’s kind of the future you
just about keeping Tekken current? Where do you do this in the US, you wouldn’t pick a fight with see in movies. Maybe you would have an AI rival
begin when you’re embarking on a new game? someone 10 pounds bigger than you. The same is who seems just as human as a real opponent.
Yeah, when the first game was being created, true in the arcades. Even if you’re really good at And one of the reasons is that fighting games is
it was the systems and the kind of mechanics a game, if someone sat across from you and they most enjoyable to play against someone who is
people would want to see. And then when the looked like mafia or some kind of bad person, you exactly the same skill level as you. So the AI can
game sold a lot with Tekken 3, that’s when the wouldn’t win. You would throw the game. perfectly match your skill level. But on another
team finally sat down and said, “Hey, this is Especially in Shinjuku where I played, there front, 40 years from now we’ll be very old people,
something that might continue for some time.” were Yakuza for real, like you see in the Sega so we might not have the same execution as
So Tekken 3 is when we actually sat down and game. So if someone would sit across from you in we do today. But you may still have somewhat
fleshed out the story for the future. an all white suit, you wouldn’t want to embarrass of a sharp mind, so they AI may be able to help
But I guess it’s always been about the game them. you implement what you’re trying to do and
systems and the gameplay. the strategy, without having to have the same
Forty years from today, Tekken 20 is released. execution. So you could have a really good battle
Did you get into any fights when you were a kid? What is it like? between to old dudes because the AI could help
My current appearance doesn’t really lead on to 40 years? I’m, what, 95? 85? (he laughs) translate what you’re trying to do.
this, but I was actually very — I didn’t really choose It’s hard to say. Obviously I probably won’t be
to fight. Although the environment I was in in the involved in the series at that age. It’s even harder Straight from your mind?
arcades, with adults, there were a lot of fights because, will people still be playing around a TV Yeah. That’s probably how it’s going to happen.
and the cops would have to break it up. Though or a monitor or the same kind of platform they
I did do some martial arts, I didn’t really fight. I use today? It’s hard to say. One thing I can say
would always try to avoid conflict when possible. for sure is it will probably be influenced by AI.
Interview With Katsuhiro H arada | 249

DEVELOPERS
TALK TEKKEN
Name: Kouhei Ikeda (aka Nakatsu) | Title: Game Director
Who is your favorite Tekken fighter? Yonemori-san then. When I passed the interviews and
Hwoarang. I was very much attracted by his military was hired, I was really glad and shouted “I did it” from my
exercise in Tekken 3 opening movie. heart. But, I was guided to Soulcalibur IV project at my
His motion was awesome and I couldn’t help but first day, and left the position of a Battle Effects Director.
stopping by and watching it. Although I thought that this was different from what
I expected, I tried hard to upload the master. After this
How did you come to work on Tekken?
project, Harada-san called me and said “Nakatsu, there
I think my chronology to start working on Tekken
is a task I’d like you to work with”, and I thought that I
project is unique. Before working on Tekken Project,
would be finally involved in Tekken development, But, it
I was working as a movie director at other company
was technology research of action games…
called Kadokawa (aka Enterbrain) which release the
In the end, it took 4 years for me to join Tekken project
game magazine Famitsu. The reason why I joined this
after I joined NAMCO.
company was because I was a good Tekken player, and
an editorial department asked me to record my combo
play and create the movie. So, I was hired by the editorial
department then.
After entered this company, I was involved in
“
Famitsu WaveDVD which is magazine with DVD, and I
[Hwoarang's] was interviewing Harada-san and planned the contents

explaining how attractive Tekken was by myself.
motion was
(Nakatsu’s 100 executions)
I had worked on planning game movie contents, and
launching/managing Tougeki (e-sports), fighting game
awesome and tournament, and strategy DVD guide for 7 years and had
a lot of chancers to communicate with dev teams and
I couldn’t help producers. By communicating with them, I was getting

more interested in “Creating Game” and “Entertaining
but stopping by people for worldwide by the game I’ve been involved in”
”
rather than creating movie contents of games.
and watching it. Then I applied to my favorite Tekken project. I had

interviews with the producer Harada-san and director
— KOUHEI IKEDA
Name: Yasuki Nakabayashi | Title: Lead Planner

Who is your favorite Tekken fighter?
Paul. I feel exhilarated when hit enemies by his special
move “Shattering Fist!”
Tekken has an impressive roster of fighters — how
much do you worry about “balance”? How are you able
to keep all the fighters equally powerful?
I’m trying not to create characters with extremely low
functioned moves, and like to avoid characters who
will be difficult for players to use. To do that, we first
implement minimum required functions into characters,
then add personality to each character.

Name: Yukio Koshiba | Title: Game Designer
Who is your favorite Tekken fighter? system in which users can pick up their favorite side at
Lee Chaolan. I’ve been using Lee Chaolan since first the time of Tekken 7 arcade release.
Tekken console version. I love not only his elegance in his Tekken is famous for its very intuitive controls. Does
appearance and action, but also his comedic features. this make designing new iterations easier, or more
Could you share a story of something you contributed challenging?
to Tekken that you’re particularly proud of? We will keep the button positioning that is corresponding
For common fighting games, characters would be at the to four limbs. But, as experienced in Tekken Tag
right side or left side. Since some players are good at Tournament, adding another button might be discussed
fighting at right side or left side, there are advantages in the future as necessary. For the example of Tekken 7,
or disadvantages in the game. Since I had been thinking in its story mode, the game provides story assist button
to solve this issue for long time, I introduced a new for beginners to launch special moves easily.
Name: Jun Yasuda (aka Mishimastar) | Title: Battle Tuning Director

Who is your favorite Tekken fighter? Is there are particular story from working on Tekken
Kazuya, he is the coolest. you’ve always wanted to tell the world? Give us the
juicy details!
What makes your favorite Tekken fighter unique?
Tekken has a way of evoking a player’s “anger” feelings.
Although this move is common among Mishima-
Even its developers get angry after the game play.
characters, “Electric Wind God Fist” (EWGF) is the best.
Sometimes, because of this anger, there would be
Among all fighting games, this special move is the most
no ends in fighting each other in games, and we lost
exhilarating. In practice mode, just launching “Electric
transportation to go back home.
Wind God Fist” is fun for me. Just launching that move
million of times is just so fun. It only happens to Tekken.
Name: Kei Kudo | Title: Lead Programmer

Hard to pick up just one character, but Heihachi Mishima.
He is strong and the central position of Tekken.
Could you share a story of a particular challenge you faced
working on Tekken? How did you overcome it?
Tekken 7 arcade version has been the first to support online battles
among arcade centers. And there were several network troubles.
Even a few days before location tests ahead of the release, networks
didn’t work properly, and every night, development staffs had to visit
arcade centers after those closures and look for the solution. After the
release, when we had troubles in Korea, our engineers had to carry
the dev kits and flied to Korea for the investigation.
Developers
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HISTORY Name: Tomoko Odashima | Title: 3-D Art Director/Lead Character Director/Lead Character Item Director
Who is your favorite Tekken fighter? that, I’m confident that I’ve created “Geese” who people
King. He was the first character I was involved in when I expected.
joined Tekken Project. What, to you, are Tekken’s defining visual
Could you share a story of a particular challenge you characteristics?
faced working on Tekken? How did you overcome it? I think points would be, their visual characteristics and
When implementing Collaboration Character “Geese” costumes are not too realistic, and not too fantasy,
(Howard from SNK). I’ve gathered a lot of documents in they have their own originality. At a first glance, those
order to express “Geese” likeness and “Tekken” likeness. look like serious, but they have fun aspects in that
Listening to opinions from other staff, I firstly created characters can abandon themselves to pleasure by item
his face design, then worked on his modeling. By doing customization.
Name: Kousuke Waki | Title: Visual Production Manager

Paul and Law. For Paul, I like his manliness. It probably comes from
his style of wearing his leather jacket. And, his vertical long hair style
shows his strong preference and style. Regarding Law, I think his
movement and fighting style are the best.
Could you share a story of a particular challenge you faced
working on Tekken? How did you overcome it?
We have a lot of difficulties in developments of Tekken. Development term
is short and there are many assets have to be created. We feel pressure
by those tasks and dignity which Tekken has. In order to overcome
this pressure, the important thing is to have your own pride in the
development — in yourself. The way to achieve this is relying on people you
can believe in, try to see things objectively, and move forward.
What, to you, are Tekken’s defining visual characteristics?
Black and Red. Iron is characteristic in that it becomes red when
burned. This image matches Tekken.
“ In order to overcome [the] pressure,

the important thing is to have your own
pride in the development — in yourself.
— KOUSUKE WAKI ”
Name: Kenji Kimura | Title: Visual Artist
Who is your favorite Tekken fighter? What is your approach to achieving that Tekken style?
Paul, Lee, Xiaoyu, Jinpachi. I am attached to the Since I’ve grown up with Japanese comics and anime
characters I was involved with in my 20s. culture, my approach to Tekken has been thinking
about how to realize depicting cool, beautiful arts and
What, to you, are Tekken’s defining visual
situation, characters with their muscles and styles by the
characteristics?
latest gaming hardware, that I felt when I was young.
Characters with strong habits, realistic facial design
which is not too real, unique worldview like comics
(manga) that allow everything, and realistic touch/
operation, passion, dynamism, exhilaration.

Name: Takao Yamagishi | Title: Animation Director
Paul, because I mainly use him.
Could you share a story of a particular challenge you
faced working on Tekken? How did you overcome it?
When I worked on Tekken 7’s arcade version, the number
of new characters was increased from 3 to 7, despite of
increased workload, the schedule was shortened. Faced
with this crisis, and I was really fed up with the project.
But I couldn’t leave the project, and all animators tried
hard to achieve the goal. That was really predicament,
and I will leave Tekken when the same thing happens in
the future.
Name: Junichi Funada | Title: Sound Designer

Who is your favorite Tekken fighter? On the other hand, symbolic key sounds such as
Gigas. To tell you the truth, Gigas’s voices are…oops. hitting sounds should be exaggerated. The reason
being, exhilaration, tension, timing of battle tactics
There are a lot of crazy, fantastical elements to Tekken,
would be well expressed by them. To design Tekken’s
but ultimately it’s a game about people hitting each other.
sounds, both “Realism” and “Deformation” are important
How important is realism to Tekken’s sound design?
approaches and factors.
I think, regarding sounds around characters such as
environment, footstep sounds, etc., in order to make
characters outstanding, creating realistic sounds
would be important.
Name: Kanako Kakino | Title: Sound Director/Sound Supervisor

Who is your favorite Tekken fighter? other. Although the BGM was unique, stylish and with
Panda and Kuma. high-quality, there were no resources to work on other
stuff. I contributed to balancing this part and solving
Could you share a story of something you contributed the issue. To keep BGM stylish, I visited John Roesch’s
to Tekken that you’re particularly proud of? studio to record sound effect by foley methods.
When I joined this project as a sound director, the I feel the potential for sounds of Tekken. It still has
balances between background music (BGM) and sound some room to be improved in the future.
effects were not good. They didn’t match with each
Developers
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A
FINISHED BOOK IS like a fighting Shoya Yamazaki, the Iron Fist Tournament Steven “Tasty Steve” Scott, the Voice of Tekken,
game, made possible and whole by its master of ceremonies, who eagerly worked to for being both teacher and student of the game.
robust and diverse cast of fighters. I facilitate and translate interviews, and for whom Aris “Avoiding the Puddle” Bakhtanians,
would like to acknowledge the following people, no request was too cumbersome or absurd. who doesn’t really do interviews, but
who contributed their time, passion, and energy, Steve Hendershot and Tim Lapetino, for remained an invaluable resource for his
while I otherwise writhed about on the floor in showing all the best combos to defeat a book decades-long dedication to the game.
desperation like Doctor Bosconovitch. like this, so that they could be clumsily copied.
Jay Edidin, a fearsome defender and ass-saver, Hoa “Anakin” Luu, Joseph “Joey Fury” Bennett,
who was calm and wise in difficult times and Katsuhiro Harada, the Heihachi of Rontray “P. Ling” Sherman, Nakayama “Nobi”
made me read like a much better writer than I am. Shinjuku, for being gracious with his time Daichi, Spero “Spero Gin” Gineros, and all
and forthright in his recollection. the other pros who shared their enthusiasm
Rich Young, for championing beautiful for the game that changed their lives.
and complex books for beautiful and Michael Murray, an American Black Belt in
complex games, and whose name should Tokyo, whose effortless translations and Crispin Boyer, Destroyer of Controllers, for
be a Tekken character some day. willingness to share stories made this book telling tales from the other side of all those
possible despite my severely limited Japanese. issues of EGM I used to gobble up as a kid.
Rodolfo Muraguchi, fastest fighter in the game,
whose relaxed disposition and lickity-split The Tekken Project Team, who took time Eric Jacobus, the Mokujin of real life,
layouts made our sprint-like schedule possible. away from busy DLC development cycles to for keeping the connection between
navel gaze and answer my silly questions. Tekken and martial arts alive.
Esteban Martinez, the Eye of Tekken, for
documenting a scene so that others could join it.

HISTORY
CITATIONS
Co, Franz. “A History of Tag Team Fighting Innovations.” SRK. Shoryuken,
16 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
Cook, Dave “A history of violence: Harada on his Tekken career.” VG247.

VG247, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 Jan. 2018.
“Extended Play: How Tekken 3 made everybody love kung-fu fighting.”

PlayStation.blog. 8 Jun. 2017. Web. 1 Mar. 2018.
Feldman, Curt. “Bandai, Namco to merge” Gamespot. CBS Interactive

Inc., 13 Dec. 2005. Web. 31 Jan 2018.
“Katsuhiro Harada’s Fight To Keep Tekken Relevant.” Game Informer.

Game Informer, 30 May 2017. Web. 12 Jan. 2018.
Kurokawa, Fumio. “Talking video games part 2: Mr. Seiichi Ishii’s life in
prototype of “Virtua Fighter” 4Gamer. Aetas, Inc, 16 Dec. 2017. Web. 31
Jan. 2018.
Momoda, Jerry. “Tekken History: The Making of Tekken.” 2013. Web. 13

Feb. 2018.
“Namco System 21.” Encyclopedia Gamia. Wikia, Inc. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.
Sheffield, Brandon. “Between a rock and a ‘Harada’ place: The massive

Tekken interview.” Gamasutra. UBM, 15 Sept. 2017. Web. 12 Jan. 2018.
Tamburro, Paul. “Top 5 Most Popular Fighting Games Ever.” Mandatory.

Evolve Media LLC, 16 Jul. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2018.
“Tekken Jargon.” Tekken Zaibatsu Wiki. 2 Jun. 2017. Web. 7 Apr. 2018.
“The 50 Best Selling Videogames of the 1990s Worldwide.” VGChartz. 3

Jul. 2009. Web. 21 Feb. 2018.
“The Making of Tekken.” Retro Gamer, no. 104, Jun. 2012, pp. 32-35
“The Making of… Tekken.” GamesRadar+. Future Publishing Ltd., 24 Feb.

2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.
Van Boom, Daniel. “How Tekken became the last arcade fighter
standing.” cnet. CBS Interactive Inc., 23 May 2017. Web. 22 Feb. 2018.
“Video Game Sales Wiki - Tekken.” Fandom. Wikia, Inc. Web. 21 Feb.
2018.
Citations | 255

GAME OVER

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IN THE HEYDAY OF FIGHTING GAMES,

THE ART OF TEKKEN:

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TEKKEN™&©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

These and other © and ™ works appear as historic examples of artwork

Nick Barrucci, CEO / Publisher

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The Iron Fist Tournament | 25

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game magazine. The game’s popularity on the

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The Iron Fist Tournament | 27

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DESPITE THE SUCCESS OF TEKKEN’S CONSOLE

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Born In A Dying L and | 37

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