Summary
Since its launch,Tekken 8has breathed life into the franchise, with a shift in focus towards aggressive play, and plenty of fun gameplay modes to keep fans busy. Story-wise, it also felt like a bit of a watershed moment, and fans thought that the narrative was now firmly focused on future installments, leaving the past, and some of its legacy characters, behind. To many fans' surprise though, series veteran antagonist and thought-to-be-dead Heihachi Mishima was recently unveiled as an upcomingTekken 8DLC fighter, raising some serious questions about the overarchingTekkenstory’s direction.
As the patriarch of the Mishima family, which the entire story revolves around, Heihachi Mishima has been a major part of the franchise since its debut in 1994. After several instances where he was presumably killed off before making a dramatic return,Tekken 7seemed to finally end his part in the story when he was shown being dumped into a sea of lava by his son, Kazuya Mishima. His absence fromTekken 8’s launch rosterall but confirmed this, but now, six months later, his return has been confirmed by a new trailer.
Heihachi Returning in Tekken 8 Has Some Lore Implications
Tekken 8’s latest DLC trailershows a mysterious group of warrior monks, referred to as the Tekken Monks, training in what appears to be the Mishima-karate style. Their trainer’s face is not shown, but it can be assumed it is Heihachi due to the uncanny similarity of his height, build, and fighting style. At the trailer’s climax, Heihachi reveals himself, but he looks decidedly younger, more akin to his pre-Tekken 3appearance. Currently, the nature of his return is a mystery, but fans will be keen for an explanation that warrants undoing some of the finality ofTekken 7’s climax.
Because Heihachi’s death is a plot device that has been used several times before, many fans felt that killing the aging megalomaniac off for good was a bold decision by the developer Bandai Namco which would allowTekken’s story to have a fresh start. Despite this, he is one of the most recognizable names on the roster, and a popular character with a range of devastating attacks, so a section of the fan base would’ve missed his presence at launch.
Heihachi’s Return Must Be Handled With Care in Tekken 8’s Story
Tekkenhas plenty of supernatural elements weaved into its narrative, from Kazuya and Jin’s devil genes through to the resurrection of the ancient being known as Ogre, but a full-on revival of a dead character will warrant an explanation. The spin-offTekken Tag Tournamentseries has brought dead characters back to life before, but these games are considered non-canonical, so the developer hasn’t had to explain this with any real coherence. Heihachi’s return is a completely different ball game. Whether it’s down to him being a ghost, a clone, or any kind of time travel narrative, the lore implications will be significant.
So far, Heihachi is by far the biggest name to be introduced as aTekken 8DLC character. Eddy Gordo and Lidia Sobieska are the other two that have been introduced, and neither come close to matching Heihachi, from a fighting or lore perspective. It’s certainly a surprise that has caught many fans off-guard, and all eyes will now be on how the veteran character is brought back into the fold after such a conclusive exit. Time will tell if this decision was the right one, especially after Reina’s debut.
Tekken 8
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
