Summary
The legacy of theTekkenseries spans three decades. It’s one of the most storied andsuccessful fighting gamesto date, and boasts a worldwide fanbase. From Japan, to Korea, to Pakistan, to the United States and beyond, Tekken is second only to Street Fighter in name recognition. The series, which once grew so popular for its simplicity, is now fairly complex in its own right, with many fans only having one or two characters they have fully learned.
This means that each character’s appearance in a Tekken game has far-reaching implications for the fanbase. If your main didn’t make it, you’ll have to wait and hope for them to be included as DLC, or just learn a new character. Here are the characters whose inclusion fans have celebrated most often.
All mainline games and spin-offs count as separate appearances. Tekken: Dark Resurrection does not account for a separate appearance because it is an updated version of Tekken 5.
13Yoshimitsu
Appearances: 11
Yoshimitsu is one of Tekken’s most unique characters. A sword-weilding ninja of the Manji Clan, Yoshimitsu is a darker take on Robin Hood. Though his namesake sword is a weapon of justice meant to protect the weak, Yoshimitsu uses it for revenge too, particularly against his rival Bryan Fury. If his sword does not kill evildoers for a prolonged period of time, its user will be driven to madness.
Yoshimitsu’s motifs may be ghoulish, but his gameplay is decidedly cartoonish. He is capable of flight using his blade as a rotor, has seemingly endless spins and flips, and can damage himself just as much as his opponents. He can also meditate to restore his health, making him an anomaly among the Tekken cast. Yoshimitsu has appeared in every single Tekken title except Tekken Revolution and Tekken Mobile.
12Marshall Law
Tekken’s tribute to Bruce Lee, Marshall Law is a character you have to try, if only for his Shaolin Spin Kicks. A proponent of Jeet Kune Do, the martial art created by his real-life inspiration, Law is a quick and deadly opponent: as fans put it, Law always seems faster when someone else is playing him.
Law’s in-game storylines usually feature a comedic tone, but the character is more than simple comic relief. A dedicated father to his son Forest, and loyal friend to Paul, Law helps restore the world by running food kitchens after the events of Tekken 8. He was briefly replaced by his son Forest in Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament, but makes a cameo in the T3 ending.
Law, along with his best friend Paul, was featured in the standalone PS2 game Urban Reign.
11Ling Xiaoyu
Xiaoyu was a part of the new generation of fighters introduced in Tekken 3: unlike her peer and crush Jin, she was not a replacement or expy for any past character. She had completely original gameplay, based on Baguazhang and Piguaquan.
Xiaoyu’s characterization was also unique for a fighting game character of the time: she had a small frame, relying more on movement and torque than brute force. Her stance-based gameplay, cheongsam outfit and personality rooted in kawaii sensibilities made her popular enough to be included inevery Tekken gamesince.
10Lee Chaolan
Lee is Heihachi’s adoptive son, and was originally chosen as the successor of the Mishima Zaibatsu. He was disowned, and failed to appear in Tekken 3 as he was off building his robotics business. In Tekken 4, amysterious fighternamed Violet appeared, later revealing himself to be Lee.
The character has appeared in every Tekken title since: charming and funny, Lee swallows the hurt the Mishima side of his family caused him and runs a successful tech company. His logistical aid in Tekken 8 helps Jin stop Kazuya, though Lee isn’t above getting his hands dirty on the battlefield either.
9Bryan Fury
Appearance: 11
A cyborg with no moral core, Bryan antagonizes everyone he comes across whether they are friend or foe. Everything about this character, from his maniacal laughter to his brutal win poses, is just off. Bryan would set the world on fire just to laugh about it, and his non-canonical Tekken 8 ending sees him build a Mad Max dystopia where he’s finally happy.
Bryan fights using kickboxing, relying on quick jabs and fast follow-ups to overwhelm his opponents. Since his debut in Tekken 3, Bryan has appeared in every game, representing the darker side of Tekken.
8Jin Kazama
Jin Kazama debuted in Tekken 3 as a replacement for Kazuya; his explosive popularity quickly cemented him as the series protagonist. His gameplay style was changed in Tekken 4 to accomodate Kazuya’s return: while Jin uses the Mishima fighting style in Tekken 3 and Tag Tournament, he fights using traditional karate from Tekken 4 onwards. Tekken 8 finally sees him re-incorporate elements of the Mishima and Kazama fighting styles into his moveset.
Jin is the poster boy of Tekken. Driven by a strong sense of shounen-esque justice, Jin has defied even his creators' attempts to downplay his role. When Tekken 6 attempted to establish Lars as the new series protagonist, it quickly became apparent to Harada and co. that the fans wanted Jin.
7Anna Williams
Alongside her more popular and reserved sister Nina, Anna is one of the earliest characters in Tekken. She debuted in Tekken with a similar playstyle to Nina, often being criticized in early games as a Nina clone.
After a mysterious absence in Tekken 4, Anna returned in Tekken 5 with a more fleshed-out fighting style. Her sultry characterization and occasional bouts of comedy have ensured an appearance in every Tekken game since, most recently as a DLC character in Tekken 8.
6Kuma
Appearances: 12
If you really want to split hairs -or fur, as it were- Kuma in his current incarnation has only had ten appearances. His predecessor, also named Kuma, died after Tekken 2. But if he’s named the same, looks the same and plays the same, isn’t it the same Kuma?
In terms of gameplay, at least, this character has appeared in every single Tekken game except Tekken Mobile. Though not popular in the higher ranks, Kuma is ideal for casual combat - or just griefing your friends - due to his jovial playstyle.
5Kazuya Mishima
We’re not going to sugarcoat it: Kazuya is the most important character in Tekken. He was once the series protagonist, and briefly returned to that role - in dubious fashion - in Tekken 7. By Tekken 8, he is the ultimate villain. He was also chosen to represent Tekken in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Once deemed too weak by Heihachi to carry on the Mishima legacy, Kazuya fought his way to the top in the original game and was the King of Iron Fist Tournament’s first canonical winner. He has appeared in every Tekken game except Tekken Card Challenge for the WonderSwan.
4Heihachi Mishima
Despite Ogre, despite Jinpachi and despite Azazel, Heihachi is the true final boss of Tekken forever. It doesn’t matter how many times he supposedly dies: this man will climb out of every volcano, every ravine and every pile of rubble you throw him under. At this point, Heihachi Mishima dying in a Tekken game just means he’ll be DLC in the next one.
Heihachi is evil incarnate: Tekken 8 offers a brief glimpse into the man’s purer psyche while he has amnesia, but then he headbutts a meteor and remembers he’s supposed to be a villain. With a fighting style so powerful it can demoralize opponents, Heihachi was the final boss in the original Tekken, T4 and T7, and served a sub-boss role in several other games.
