Since its debut in the 1990s, the Tekken series of 3D fighting game from Bandai-Namco has focused on more grounded combat. While energy techniques and over-the-top elements are still present, the series is one of the most fisticuffs-driven in the fighting-game space. On the other hand, the story is larger than life, featuring paramilitary corporations, robots, and the ancient Devil Gene.
Netflix announced a adaptation of Tekken and its bizarre narrative. The series, titled Tekken: Bloodline, is set to debut sometime in 2022. The trailer is quite promising, as it mixes anime aesthetics with the series' signature 3D. There are quite a few things in the trailer to get devotees of the franchise hyped up.
Tekken: Bloodline Is Set Between Tekken 2 and 3
Tekken 3 remains one of the best fighting games of all time. Not only was it mechanically deep, but it also featured some big shake-ups to the narrative. In Tekken 1 and 2, the series was about Kazuya and Heihachi Mishima exacting revenge on each other. Aside from Kazuya's brief romance with Jun Kazama, it was mostly about two shrewd people using a tournament as backdrop for revenge.
But when Tekken 3 came out there was a large jump forward in time. Kazuya was nowhere to be found and the new protagonist was his sun with Jun, Jin Kazama. Jin was looking for his mother who had gone misisng, and had trained under Heihachi. This was a big change, but the anime shows Jin's training, meaning audiences will get to see more of why it had to be this way.
Jin Kazama is the protagonist of Tekken: Bloodline
Speaking of Jin, he will be the lead in this show. This might surprise fans of Super Smash Bros, where Kazuya was chosen to rep Tekken over Jin. But Jin is definitely the most popular Tekken protagonist. He features a more diverse moveset than the rest of his family.
Kazuya and Heihachi were often seen as too mean by fans. While Jin definitely can be mean, he's a lighter shade than the others. His arc to learn about his family and find is mother is also quite compelling. And it's more surprising to see him embrace his dark side than the more traditionally evil Heihachi and Kazuya.
Tekken: Bloodline Will Feature 3D Anime
Tekken is a 3D fighting series. While the characters have had 2D or pseudo-3D iterations, it can't be separated from that.The creators of the anime definitely got the memo. Despite the shading giving it a 2D appearance, the show is definitely a 3D anime.
3D anime is somewhat controversial. While it can look stunning, there are plenty of examples of it looking inconsistent. Thankfully, the trailer shows very fluid looking animation. The characters move like real people, which is true to the source.
Kazuya will appear in Tekken: Bloodline
Despite the fact that Jin will be headlining, Kazuya does seem to be making an appearance. There's a shot in the trailer where all three successive generations of Mishima men are shown. Kazuya is shown in a 3D model. This implies he will make some sort of appearance.
In the actual games, Kazuya doesn't appear in the time frame of Tekken 3 at all. At the time he's presumed dead before making a surprise resurgence in Tekken 4. Then he and Jin switch off in the protagonist role. Although Kazuya is definitely a villain protagonist, so that's probably going to translate to conflict within the show.
Tekken: Bloodline Will Feature Moves from the Games
Tekken is known for its sheer amount of moves. It's pretty easy for new fighting game players to need tips to manage all of it. It's easy to get bogged down in execution. Thankfully, a 3D anime needs no button presses for these attacks.
The trailer shows off a few fight scenes. And in these scenes we can see the characters use some of their signature attacks and combos. They're worked into the scenes as natural extensions of their fighting styles. This will make it exciting for both fans of the gameplay and fighting scene fans in general.
Leroy Will Appear In Tekken: Bloodline
Tekken 2 and 3 might be some of the most beloved fighting games from the 1990s, but time moves on. The series continued into the future. Right now the most recent game in Tekken 7, which has its own popular characters. That includes Leroy Smith, an absolutely massive wing chun practitioner.
Leroy is a relatively new addition to the Tekken canon. He wasn't even a default roster character, instead appearing in the DLC for the game. He's quickly proven to dominate the competitive scene. So it seems like he's been inserted retroactively into the events of the previous games, given his appearance in Bloodline's trailer.
Tekken: Bloodline Will Expand On Jun Kazama and Ogre
Jun Kazama was a pretty popular female fighter from Tekken 2. Unfortunately, she's been basically awol from the series. In the lead up to 3 she was kidnapped by Ogre. Ogre has made multiple appearances throughout the series, but Jun has never appeared again.
While characters inspired by Jun or her moveset have appeared again, fans have been asking about her fate. Bloodline looks to be expanding on the plotline. The trailer gets to see Jun's fight with Ogre, sparking hope that maybe fans will finally know her true fate.
King Will Clash With Jin In Tekken: Bloodline
Aside from the various protagonists, there's one other character most general audiences know from Tekken. He's one of the most iconic fighting game characters from the 90's. That would be King, the wrestler wearing a big cat mask. Technically there's multiple Kings, as the one from Tekken 3 is a successor to a previous King, like Jin was to Kazuya.
King has always been a fan favorite, as he stood out compared to the more grounded brawler characters with his mask. And fans were happy to see him clashing with Jin at the end of the trailer. Although it does raise some questions. In the games, King talks with animal noises. It remains to be seen if that will be maintained here.
The Devil Gene Will Figure Into Tekken: Bloodline's Storyline
It wouldn't be a fighting game without some kind of mystical dark power. Street Fighter has the Satsui no Hado and King of Fighters has the power of Orochi. The Devil Gene is the Tekken equivalent, a mysterious demonic form that can be activated in times of stress. It's a mysterious form that many characters have had to struggle to control.
Jin in particular has had a tough time with the Devil Gene. His father, Kazuya, would always embrace the power it gave him. But Jin, who was more heroic than his dad, would not always find it a blessing, even embarking on quests to purge it from his body. Its marking appears on Jin's face during the trailer, meaning it's likely to appear again.
Tekken: Bloodline Will Explore Jin's Dark Side
Jin has been described as "more heroic than Kazuya" throughout this list. That's true, but he's hardly a boy scout. Being influenced by the demonic Devil Gene meant he was just as prone to mean or evil plots as his father was. The trailer for Bloodline hints at this by referring to Jin as a "Dark Hero."
This is great for fans to hear, as it means that Jin won't be toned down any from his game counterpart. In future titles, he becomes responsible for World War III. This is quite a step beyond the standard "karate man" that fighting games usually have for their protagonists. Fans are looking forward to seeing how dark the Bloodline version of Jin will be when the show launches sometime in 2022.