"They all thought I was out of the game... But I'm holding all the cards now."
Tekken is the most popular 3D Fighting Game series of all time, and part of that is the colorful cast of characters, many of whom are far more devious then you might expect. You'd better Get Ready For the Next Battle if you ever run into the following.
All spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
Mishima Clan
The Mishima Clan is perhaps the most famous Big, Screwed-Up Family in video games, with the following fueling the feud with their schemes and cunning:
- Kazuya Mishima started off as a young boy kicked off a cliff by his father Heihachi after trying to avenge his mother, which left him twisted and filled with the need for vengeance. Kazuya trains and eventually defeats his father in the first King of Iron Tournament before converting the Mishima Zaibatsu corporation into a hub of criminal activity. After being killed, Kazuya returned from the dead to try and steal his son Jin's devil gene. Kazuya later usurps control of G Corporation and plans to use it to Take Over the World. During the war between G Corp and Mishima Zaibatsu, Kazuya pins the destruction of a town he destroyed on Zaibatsu to have the public ostracize them. After killing his father Heihachi, Kazuya now aims to create a world where only the strongest rule. Kazuya manipulates the world into going to a new King of Iron Tournament by threatening their countries with destruction (though he instead plans to simply impose harsh sanctions on them) and uses it to gather the heroes so he can unseal and defeat Azazel and absorb his powers to gain godlike abilities. Even when his powers are lost, Kazuya refuses to back down in his fight with Jin, showing tenacity and charisma even to the end.
- Heihachi Mishima, the King of Iron Fist himself, is one of the strongest and most successful corrupt businessmen in all fighting games. Turning to evil after being forced to kill his wife, Heihachi stole the Mishima Zaibatsu from his father by imprisoning him and would go on to throw his own son off a cliff to see if he inherited his mother's Devil Gene, beginning a feud that would last decades. Making the Zaibatsu an N.G.O. Superpower, Heihachi would constantly crave more power. When Kazuya defeated him, Heihachi trained himself to be even stronger to take revenge and take back the Zaibatsu — dropping Kazuya into a volcano just to be sure he was dead. Years later Heihachi would manipulate his grandson's desire to avenge his mother to draw out Ogre, and after Jin killed the "God of Fighting" Heihachi shot his grandson in the head, desiring the bodies of his son and grandson to utilize their Devil's Blood in conjunction with Ogre's corpse to make himself invincible. Continuing his schemes and feuding and escaping death through sheer strength of will, Heihachi finally meets his end when challenging his son to one last fight, sharing his story with a reporter beforehand and facing his death with dignity.
- Jin Kazama, son of Jun Kazama and Kazuya Mishima and debuting in Tekken 3, is about as selfless and ruthless as a hero can be. Avenging his mother's apparent death at the hands of Ogre, Jin is betrayed by his grandfather, Heihachi, thereafter swearing to destroy the Mishima Bloodline along with his one Devil's Blood. Eventually taking control of the Mishima Zaibatsu, Jin would trigger World War III with the intent of reviving Azazel so that he can kill it and himself; while Jin survives Azazel's body is destroyed. Awakening in Tekken 8, Jin goes on a classic Hero's Journey and finally redeems himself, accepting his own life's worth and the love of friends along with finally putting an end to Kazuya's evil plans.
- Tekken 8: Reina is the youngest child of Heihachi Mishima and seeks to avenge his death by Kazuya. Reina is the child to take the most from Heihachi and is a conniving schemer who worms her way into the 8th King of Iron Fist Tournament. Reina plays as a ditz in order to get close to Jin and discover how to activate the powers of the devil gene. Discovering from Jin that the powers activate in Mishima descendants through near death experiences, Reina infiltrates his group and later puts herself into the path of Kazuya's attack to be reborn as the newest Devil.
- Lee Chaolan is the adoptive son of Heihachi Mishima and the former archrival of Kazuya. Rising from his humble origins as a Hong Kong orphan, Lee becomes Kazuya's secretary and secretly plots to overthrow him. When Heihachi defeated Kazuya, Lee was kicked out and reinvented himself as a stylish, charming mastermind. Lee founds Violet Industries and makes a fortune through the company. Lee later infiltrates the fourth king of Iron Tournament as "Violet" in order to defeat Kazuya for good. When defeated, Lee simply bides his time and takes advantage of moles he has planted in both G Corp and Mishima Zaibatsu in order to profit off the war. Sensing an opportunity to defeat the Mishimas for good, Lee funds Lars Alexandersson in his rebellion against them, while planning to backstab him for control of the world. Lee also helps to keep Lars close by helping to save Jin Kazama by tricking Nina Williams into releasing him to Lee. Eventually impressed by Lars' genuine nobility, Lee decides to help him sincerely and save the world.
Others
- Nina Williams is a Consummate Professional assassin, treating every job with the same cold stoicism. Trained by her parents, Nina is one of the most deadly women in the world, catching the eye of Jin while he ran the Zaibatsu. Sending her on missions to destabilize regimes worldwide, Nina was instrumental in Jin's plans to send the world into chaos, even earning some of Nina's respect. She eventually turns on Jin when Heihachi takes the Zaibatsu back, though it's not personal as far as she's concerned. She eventually finds her way into Kazuya's employ as his Number Two, coordinating his troops during The War Sequence and even recruiting Tournament participants, predicting they'd be an asset. Even then, Nina is not heartless — she refuses to kill her biological son, Steve Fox, despite claiming she feels nothing for him.
- Armor King II, debuting in Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection, is a mysterious Jaguar Masked wrestler claiming to be the long lost brother and tag team partner of the original Armor King. Seeking revenge on Marduk for Armor King I's death, the second Armor King ambushes Marduk on several occasions, utilising classic wrestling heel techniques. He is also not without honor; during Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign Armor King II is found freeing test subjects from G Corporation, hoping to expose it and Kazuya's evil to the world.
- Kunimitsu Character Trailer
: Kunimitsu II, daughter of the original Kunimitsu, puts in a fine showing in her non-canon character trailer. Easily defeating Master Raven, Kunimitsu II uses her to lure Yoshimitsu to her. With a variety of stylish and subversive techniques, she defeats Yoshimitsu before taking off her mask and revealing her true identity. Absconding with the cursed sword Yoshimitsu, Kunimitsu II surpasses her mother by stealing the one treasure that eluded her.
