Tekken 8 (鉄拳8 lit. Iron Fist 8?) is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series.
- It is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika[1] and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
- It was announced on September 13th, 2022 via the PlayStation State of Play.[2]
- The game was released on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.[3]
TEKKEN 8 — Azucena Reveal & Gameplay Trailer
Prior to the game's release, Katsuhiro Harada revealed, "This new entry will focus on the father and son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama."[4] Harada stated that, Tekken 8 is set six months after Tekken 7 and will feature Jun Kazama as a "focal point of the story".[5] In a press release, Bandai Namco Entertainment stated the following:
"This latest saga begins where the previous title left off, with a world mired deep in the devastating war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. After suffering what seems to be a defeat from Kazuya, Jin faces his own fate. His mother, Jun Kazama, appears after her absence from the Tekken franchise to try and turn the tide in this blood feud."[6]
Yggdrasil, Lars Alexandersson’s rebel army, commence Operation Lightning, a strike intended to take out Kazuya Mishima, the leader of G Corporation. On Lars’s orders, Jin Kazama confronts his father Kazuya in New York City. Both use the power of their Devil Genes during the fight, but Jin fails to maintain control over his devil form, transforming completely and ultimately losing to Kazuya. Kazuya destroys a wide array of satellites, causing widespread communications outages, and announces that G Corporation will be holding the eighth King of Iron Fist Tournament, stating that it is a means to discover who deserves a place in the world under his rule.
Jin has a vision of his Devil form extending a hand to him, but he rejects its offer of assistance. One week later, Jin is recuperating at an Yggdrasil base. He and Lars spar, only for Lee Chaolan to interrupt and share the troubling news that Jin’s strength and abilities have diminished. Jin attempts to use his devil powers, but is unable to access them.[7]
Three days later, Jin almost collapses whilst training. Alisa Bosconovitch goes to his aid, and tells Jin that he is the hope of mankind.
Lee tells Lars that he will be contacting experts who are investigating the Devil Gene. Jin, believing that he will regain his ability to use his devil powers if he is put at risk of death, tells Lars and Lee of his intention to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Lars is concerned that it is a trap set by G Corporation, but Jin resolves to enter.[8]
Three days later, Jin is at the arena for the tournament’s Asia Preliminaries. While he is walking down a corridor, he encounters a young woman called Reina, who tells him she attends Mishima Polytechnic, the same school Jin used to go to. Jin ignores her and walks past her. Jin and Reina are matched in the semifinals. As they fight, Jin realizes she is using Mishima Style Fighting Karate like his late grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. After Reina lands a blow on him, Jin’s devil powers briefly reawaken, seemingly in response to the risk of death he associates with Heihachi’s style. Reina suddenly forfeits the match, apparently having seen all she needs to.
Hwoarang enters the ring despite not being scheduled to fight Jin next. The two fight, and Jin feels a heat within his body that he had previously forgotten. His devil powers awaken in response to it, and he is able to defeat Hwoarang. Jin wonders why he didn’t lose himself to his devil powers in this instance. Hwoarang remarks on Jin’s ‘weird-ass power’, but then says, ‘still, that’s just another part of you.’ Jin meets Reina in another corridor. She tells him that she wants to join him in taking out Kazuya Mishima. Jin asks if that has anything to do with her use of Mishima Style Karate. Reina brushes off his suspicions, telling him she learned it from the internet.[9] Nina Williams, who is working for G Corporation, tells Kazuya that a woman he was looking for is with the Sirius Marksmen. Kazuya tells Nina to ensure that the woman does not leave Italy.
At the Sirius Sanctuary, Ling Xiaoyu and Panda watch Jin’s win against Hwoarang on Xiaoyu’s phone. Claudio Serafino and Zafina, meanwhile, discuss Azazel, the ancient demon that Jin Kazama once defeated, the spirit of which is now sealed in Zafina’s arm. Zafina notes that Jin is growing weaker while Kazuya grows ever stronger. Zafina tells Claudio they must seek out Jin to prevent Kazuya from annihilating the world, and Xiaoyu insists on going with them.
Niklas and Leo Kliesen arrive at the Yggdrasil base. Niklas has been researching the Devil Gene and its origins. Leo recognizes Jin as the one who waged war as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu months before and spars with him. Later, Niklas explains to Yggdrasil’s leadership that devils are humans that possess a fraction of Azazel’s power. Azazel once used these devils as its servants. These devils were able to access their superhuman powers by drawing upon their desire. Lars hypothesizes that Kazuya’s power comes from his avarice. Leo tells Jin that they did not sense any selfish emotions in Jin whilst they were sparring, only warmth.
Victor Chevalier, leader of the United Nations Raven Unit, receives a communication from Raven regarding Kazuya Mishima’s warmongering intentions. Victor resolves to contact Lars and unite the power of their forces to conduct a joint operation against Kazuya.[10]
The next stage of the King of Iron Fist Tournament is held in a coliseum in Italy. Yggdrasil and United Nations forces surround the coliseum, preparing to commence their operation. Meanwhile, Jin faces Leroy Smith, who impresses on him the importance of fighting from the heart, not relying on physical strength alone. Jin defeats Leroy, and then Kazuya appears, declaring that all hierarchies in his world will be determined by strength alone.
Xiaoyu, Claudio, and Zafina arrive at the coliseum.[11] They rush in as Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces storm the arena. Kazuya assumes his devil form and captures Zafina. He uses his power to expel Azazel from her, causing the sky to turn dark. Wounded, Zafina tells Jin that he needs to return to the ‘point of origin’ to purge himself of evil. Jin realizes he must go to his birthplace, Yakushima. Azazel, having once again achieved physical form, is called forth by Kazuya. Azazel tells Kazuya it intends to make him a part of itself, but Kazuya is able to defeat it and force it to become part of him. After absorbing Azazel, Kazuya takes on a more powerful monstrous form.[12] Claudio tells Jin that any attempt to combat Kazuya in this form will fail at this time. He tells him to do as Zafina said. Jin leaves for Yakushima with Xiaoyu accompanying him.
A cohort of fighters stay at the coliseum to hold Kazuya off. Claudio tells Victor that he has a ‘secret stratagem’, but that he will need time to enact it. The other fighters buy Claudio time by attacking Kazuya. Kazuya is able to easily brush them off until Reina approaches him. They fight one on one, and Kazuya recognizes that Reina is using Mishima Style Karate. Reina is resilient, but is ultimately defeated by Kazuya. Claudio is finally able to restrain Kazuya using his magic and fires the Spear of Kephalos at him. Kazuya breaks free, however, and evades the attack. He fires a laser at Claudio. Moments before being struck, Claudio is able to redirect the magical projectile to hit Kazuya, clipping his shoulder. The injury causes Kazuya to become unstable, and he flees to recuperate.[13]
Back at G Corporation headquarters, Nina informs Kazuya that all available troops have been deployed to Yakushima. Kazuya orders that Jin Kazama be left alive so that he can kill him with his own hands. Meanwhile, Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces travel to Yakushima to buy Jin time.
Once they have arrived on Yakushima, Jin and Xiaoyu walk to the shrine where Jin and his mother once trained together. Xiaoyu asks Jin what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he tells her he never desired anything beyond protecting his mother and their home. They reach a clearing and Xiaoyu suggests they spar to see if it will help Jin discover what he needs to do. After they’ve fought, Jin hears a lullaby from his childhood. He follows the sound of it into the opening of a sanctum. His body falters, and he promises Xiaoyu he will return before falling unconscious.[14] Xiaoyu watches over him, but is alerted to danger when she hears loud crashes outside. She fights off waves of Jack-7 robots to protect Jin while he is vulnerable.[15] Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces clash with G Corporation on Yakushima. Lars has Alisa do a scan of the island, and Lars leaves to assist Jin and Xiaoyu when he is informed of their location.
Yggdrasil and the United Nations are able to hold their own until Kazuya, once again in his monstrous devil form, reaches the battlefield. He uses lasers to inflict massive damage on the ground forces, shooting at the battlefield indiscriminately. Reina purposefully stands in the path of one of these lasers, taking the full force of it. Kazuya senses Jin’s location and heads straight for him. As Kazuya leaves, Reina wakes up, one of her eyes now bright red.[16]
Kazuya and Lars both reach Xiaoyu, who has managed to hold off the Jack-7 robots. Lars fights Kazuya to keep him from reaching Jin.[17] Meanwhile, Jin faces his devil form on a plane of his subconscious. His devil form taunts him, telling him that power derived from anger and hatred is essential, and that Jin can atone for his past actions only through solitude. Jin rejects these ideas, stating that awareness of his past mistakes is what will allow him to move forward. Jin then encounters his Devil form as a mirror image of himself. Jin resolves that he is done rejecting his devil form as an innate part of himself, acknowledging that he can only move on if he accepts all he is and all he has done. Devil Jin asks him what it is he truly desires, and Jin states that he is determined to protect those who are precious to him. His devil form grants him all of its power, and Jin realizes that it has made efforts to protect him in the past. He thanks it, and apologizes for misunderstanding its intentions previously.[18]
Jin awakens in time to save Lars from the path of one of Kazuya’s lasers. Jin fights Kazuya in his own devil form, which now possesses one white wing, one black. Jin is able to hold his own against Kazuya, but eventually finds himself struggling to hold back a massive attack that Kazuya intends to destroy Yakushima with. As he attempts to hold the attack off, even if he must die doing so, he has a vision of his mother, Jun Kazama. She tells him that a noble death will cause pain to those around Jin. She reminds him that the Kazama way is to protect the well-being of those around him and his own life. Jin asks his mother if he has the right to desire life after all he has done. She tells him that a Kazama’s power is to foster life and cleanse evil. Jin assumes a new form, Angel Jin. Jun tells him he can use his power to save himself and his father.
In his new form, Jin is able to redirect Kazuya’s attack to the ocean, saving Yakushima.[19] Angel Jin and Devil Kazuya fight in the sky briefly before being lifted into the stratosphere by a large chunk off rock from under the sea as a result of Kazuya's attack, only to continue fighting there. Through this fight, both Jin and his father are purified of their devil afflictions.[20] With their devil powers gone, they continue their fight once more as the ground they fought on returns to the Earth's surface.[21] Jin is able to use all his teachings – from his mother’s Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts to the Mishima Style Fighting Karate he once rejected – as well as his determination to protect those he cares about to defeat Kazuya. Jin leaves Kazuya unconscious as he goes to regroup with his loved ones. Jin believes the world to finally have been freed from the influence of devils and their powers.
Later, Jun appears to find Kazuya’s unconscious form. Later still, it is revealed that Reina understands Heihachi Mishima to be her father. Additionally, her brush with death in the path of Kazuya’s laser has given her the ability to take on a devil form.[22]
There is an alternate ending if the player loses to Kazuya during the final round of this last battle. In this ending, Kazuya throws Jin and off a cliff and proclaims that, even without his devil powers, power rules everything. He decides to finish his global invasion.[23] Taking into account the character arcs and themes of the overall narrative, it is highly likely that this ending is non-canonical.
Tekken 8 (鉄拳8 lit. Iron Fist 8?) is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series.
- It is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika[1] and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
- It was announced on September 13th, 2022 via the PlayStation State of Play.[2]
- The game was released on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.[3]
TEKKEN 8 — Azucena Reveal & Gameplay Trailer
Prior to the game's release, Katsuhiro Harada revealed, "This new entry will focus on the father and son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama."[4] Harada stated that, Tekken 8 is set six months after Tekken 7 and will feature Jun Kazama as a "focal point of the story".[5] In a press release, Bandai Namco Entertainment stated the following:
"This latest saga begins where the previous title left off, with a world mired deep in the devastating war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. After suffering what seems to be a defeat from Kazuya, Jin faces his own fate. His mother, Jun Kazama, appears after her absence from the Tekken franchise to try and turn the tide in this blood feud."[6]
Yggdrasil, Lars Alexandersson’s rebel army, commence Operation Lightning, a strike intended to take out Kazuya Mishima, the leader of G Corporation. On Lars’s orders, Jin Kazama confronts his father Kazuya in New York City. Both use the power of their Devil Genes during the fight, but Jin fails to maintain control over his devil form, transforming completely and ultimately losing to Kazuya. Kazuya destroys a wide array of satellites, causing widespread communications outages, and announces that G Corporation will be holding the eighth King of Iron Fist Tournament, stating that it is a means to discover who deserves a place in the world under his rule.
Jin has a vision of his Devil form extending a hand to him, but he rejects its offer of assistance. One week later, Jin is recuperating at an Yggdrasil base. He and Lars spar, only for Lee Chaolan to interrupt and share the troubling news that Jin’s strength and abilities have diminished. Jin attempts to use his devil powers, but is unable to access them.[7]
Three days later, Jin almost collapses whilst training. Alisa Bosconovitch goes to his aid, and tells Jin that he is the hope of mankind.
Lee tells Lars that he will be contacting experts who are investigating the Devil Gene. Jin, believing that he will regain his ability to use his devil powers if he is put at risk of death, tells Lars and Lee of his intention to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Lars is concerned that it is a trap set by G Corporation, but Jin resolves to enter.[8]
Three days later, Jin is at the arena for the tournament’s Asia Preliminaries. While he is walking down a corridor, he encounters a young woman called Reina, who tells him she attends Mishima Polytechnic, the same school Jin used to go to. Jin ignores her and walks past her. Jin and Reina are matched in the semifinals. As they fight, Jin realizes she is using Mishima Style Fighting Karate like his late grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. After Reina lands a blow on him, Jin’s devil powers briefly reawaken, seemingly in response to the risk of death he associates with Heihachi’s style. Reina suddenly forfeits the match, apparently having seen all she needs to.
Hwoarang enters the ring despite not being scheduled to fight Jin next. The two fight, and Jin feels a heat within his body that he had previously forgotten. His devil powers awaken in response to it, and he is able to defeat Hwoarang. Jin wonders why he didn’t lose himself to his devil powers in this instance. Hwoarang remarks on Jin’s ‘weird-ass power’, but then says, ‘still, that’s just another part of you.’ Jin meets Reina in another corridor. She tells him that she wants to join him in taking out Kazuya Mishima. Jin asks if that has anything to do with her use of Mishima Style Karate. Reina brushes off his suspicions, telling him she learned it from the internet.[9] Nina Williams, who is working for G Corporation, tells Kazuya that a woman he was looking for is with the Sirius Marksmen. Kazuya tells Nina to ensure that the woman does not leave Italy.
At the Sirius Sanctuary, Ling Xiaoyu and Panda watch Jin’s win against Hwoarang on Xiaoyu’s phone. Claudio Serafino and Zafina, meanwhile, discuss Azazel, the ancient demon that Jin Kazama once defeated, the spirit of which is now sealed in Zafina’s arm. Zafina notes that Jin is growing weaker while Kazuya grows ever stronger. Zafina tells Claudio they must seek out Jin to prevent Kazuya from annihilating the world, and Xiaoyu insists on going with them.
Niklas and Leo Kliesen arrive at the Yggdrasil base. Niklas has been researching the Devil Gene and its origins. Leo recognizes Jin as the one who waged war as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu months before and spars with him. Later, Niklas explains to Yggdrasil’s leadership that devils are humans that possess a fraction of Azazel’s power. Azazel once used these devils as its servants. These devils were able to access their superhuman powers by drawing upon their desire. Lars hypothesizes that Kazuya’s power comes from his avarice. Leo tells Jin that they did not sense any selfish emotions in Jin whilst they were sparring, only warmth.
Victor Chevalier, leader of the United Nations Raven Unit, receives a communication from Raven regarding Kazuya Mishima’s warmongering intentions. Victor resolves to contact Lars and unite the power of their forces to conduct a joint operation against Kazuya.[10]
The next stage of the King of Iron Fist Tournament is held in a coliseum in Italy. Yggdrasil and United Nations forces surround the coliseum, preparing to commence their operation. Meanwhile, Jin faces Leroy Smith, who impresses on him the importance of fighting from the heart, not relying on physical strength alone. Jin defeats Leroy, and then Kazuya appears, declaring that all hierarchies in his world will be determined by strength alone.
Xiaoyu, Claudio, and Zafina arrive at the coliseum.[11] They rush in as Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces storm the arena. Kazuya assumes his devil form and captures Zafina. He uses his power to expel Azazel from her, causing the sky to turn dark. Wounded, Zafina tells Jin that he needs to return to the ‘point of origin’ to purge himself of evil. Jin realizes he must go to his birthplace, Yakushima. Azazel, having once again achieved physical form, is called forth by Kazuya. Azazel tells Kazuya it intends to make him a part of itself, but Kazuya is able to defeat it and force it to become part of him. After absorbing Azazel, Kazuya takes on a more powerful monstrous form.[12] Claudio tells Jin that any attempt to combat Kazuya in this form will fail at this time. He tells him to do as Zafina said. Jin leaves for Yakushima with Xiaoyu accompanying him.
A cohort of fighters stay at the coliseum to hold Kazuya off. Claudio tells Victor that he has a ‘secret stratagem’, but that he will need time to enact it. The other fighters buy Claudio time by attacking Kazuya. Kazuya is able to easily brush them off until Reina approaches him. They fight one on one, and Kazuya recognizes that Reina is using Mishima Style Karate. Reina is resilient, but is ultimately defeated by Kazuya. Claudio is finally able to restrain Kazuya using his magic and fires the Spear of Kephalos at him. Kazuya breaks free, however, and evades the attack. He fires a laser at Claudio. Moments before being struck, Claudio is able to redirect the magical projectile to hit Kazuya, clipping his shoulder. The injury causes Kazuya to become unstable, and he flees to recuperate.[13]
Back at G Corporation headquarters, Nina informs Kazuya that all available troops have been deployed to Yakushima. Kazuya orders that Jin Kazama be left alive so that he can kill him with his own hands. Meanwhile, Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces travel to Yakushima to buy Jin time.
Once they have arrived on Yakushima, Jin and Xiaoyu walk to the shrine where Jin and his mother once trained together. Xiaoyu asks Jin what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he tells her he never desired anything beyond protecting his mother and their home. They reach a clearing and Xiaoyu suggests they spar to see if it will help Jin discover what he needs to do. After they’ve fought, Jin hears a lullaby from his childhood. He follows the sound of it into the opening of a sanctum. His body falters, and he promises Xiaoyu he will return before falling unconscious.[14] Xiaoyu watches over him, but is alerted to danger when she hears loud crashes outside. She fights off waves of Jack-7 robots to protect Jin while he is vulnerable.[15] Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces clash with G Corporation on Yakushima. Lars has Alisa do a scan of the island, and Lars leaves to assist Jin and Xiaoyu when he is informed of their location.
Yggdrasil and the United Nations are able to hold their own until Kazuya, once again in his monstrous devil form, reaches the battlefield. He uses lasers to inflict massive damage on the ground forces, shooting at the battlefield indiscriminately. Reina purposefully stands in the path of one of these lasers, taking the full force of it. Kazuya senses Jin’s location and heads straight for him. As Kazuya leaves, Reina wakes up, one of her eyes now bright red.[16]
Kazuya and Lars both reach Xiaoyu, who has managed to hold off the Jack-7 robots. Lars fights Kazuya to keep him from reaching Jin.[17] Meanwhile, Jin faces his devil form on a plane of his subconscious. His devil form taunts him, telling him that power derived from anger and hatred is essential, and that Jin can atone for his past actions only through solitude. Jin rejects these ideas, stating that awareness of his past mistakes is what will allow him to move forward. Jin then encounters his Devil form as a mirror image of himself. Jin resolves that he is done rejecting his devil form as an innate part of himself, acknowledging that he can only move on if he accepts all he is and all he has done. Devil Jin asks him what it is he truly desires, and Jin states that he is determined to protect those who are precious to him. His devil form grants him all of its power, and Jin realizes that it has made efforts to protect him in the past. He thanks it, and apologizes for misunderstanding its intentions previously.[18]
Jin awakens in time to save Lars from the path of one of Kazuya’s lasers. Jin fights Kazuya in his own devil form, which now possesses one white wing, one black. Jin is able to hold his own against Kazuya, but eventually finds himself struggling to hold back a massive attack that Kazuya intends to destroy Yakushima with. As he attempts to hold the attack off, even if he must die doing so, he has a vision of his mother, Jun Kazama. She tells him that a noble death will cause pain to those around Jin. She reminds him that the Kazama way is to protect the well-being of those around him and his own life. Jin asks his mother if he has the right to desire life after all he has done. She tells him that a Kazama’s power is to foster life and cleanse evil. Jin assumes a new form, Angel Jin. Jun tells him he can use his power to save himself and his father.
In his new form, Jin is able to redirect Kazuya’s attack to the ocean, saving Yakushima.[19] Angel Jin and Devil Kazuya fight in the sky briefly before being lifted into the stratosphere by a large chunk off rock from under the sea as a result of Kazuya's attack, only to continue fighting there. Through this fight, both Jin and his father are purified of their devil afflictions.[20] With their devil powers gone, they continue their fight once more as the ground they fought on returns to the Earth's surface.[21] Jin is able to use all his teachings – from his mother’s Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts to the Mishima Style Fighting Karate he once rejected – as well as his determination to protect those he cares about to defeat Kazuya. Jin leaves Kazuya unconscious as he goes to regroup with his loved ones. Jin believes the world to finally have been freed from the influence of devils and their powers.
Later, Jun appears to find Kazuya’s unconscious form. Later still, it is revealed that Reina understands Heihachi Mishima to be her father. Additionally, her brush with death in the path of Kazuya’s laser has given her the ability to take on a devil form.[22]
There is an alternate ending if the player loses to Kazuya during the final round of this last battle. In this ending, Kazuya throws Jin and off a cliff and proclaims that, even without his devil powers, power rules everything. He decides to finish his global invasion.[23] Taking into account the character arcs and themes of the overall narrative, it is highly likely that this ending is non-canonical.
Tekken 8 (鉄拳8 lit. Iron Fist 8?) is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series.
- It is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika[1] and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
- It was announced on September 13th, 2022 via the PlayStation State of Play.[2]
- The game was released on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.[3]
TEKKEN 8 — Azucena Reveal & Gameplay Trailer
Prior to the game's release, Katsuhiro Harada revealed, "This new entry will focus on the father and son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama."[4] Harada stated that, Tekken 8 is set six months after Tekken 7 and will feature Jun Kazama as a "focal point of the story".[5] In a press release, Bandai Namco Entertainment stated the following:
"This latest saga begins where the previous title left off, with a world mired deep in the devastating war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. After suffering what seems to be a defeat from Kazuya, Jin faces his own fate. His mother, Jun Kazama, appears after her absence from the Tekken franchise to try and turn the tide in this blood feud."[6]
Yggdrasil, Lars Alexandersson’s rebel army, commence Operation Lightning, a strike intended to take out Kazuya Mishima, the leader of G Corporation. On Lars’s orders, Jin Kazama confronts his father Kazuya in New York City. Both use the power of their Devil Genes during the fight, but Jin fails to maintain control over his devil form, transforming completely and ultimately losing to Kazuya. Kazuya destroys a wide array of satellites, causing widespread communications outages, and announces that G Corporation will be holding the eighth King of Iron Fist Tournament, stating that it is a means to discover who deserves a place in the world under his rule.
Jin has a vision of his Devil form extending a hand to him, but he rejects its offer of assistance. One week later, Jin is recuperating at an Yggdrasil base. He and Lars spar, only for Lee Chaolan to interrupt and share the troubling news that Jin’s strength and abilities have diminished. Jin attempts to use his devil powers, but is unable to access them.[7]
Three days later, Jin almost collapses whilst training. Alisa Bosconovitch goes to his aid, and tells Jin that he is the hope of mankind.
Lee tells Lars that he will be contacting experts who are investigating the Devil Gene. Jin, believing that he will regain his ability to use his devil powers if he is put at risk of death, tells Lars and Lee of his intention to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Lars is concerned that it is a trap set by G Corporation, but Jin resolves to enter.[8]
Three days later, Jin is at the arena for the tournament’s Asia Preliminaries. While he is walking down a corridor, he encounters a young woman called Reina, who tells him she attends Mishima Polytechnic, the same school Jin used to go to. Jin ignores her and walks past her. Jin and Reina are matched in the semifinals. As they fight, Jin realizes she is using Mishima Style Fighting Karate like his late grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. After Reina lands a blow on him, Jin’s devil powers briefly reawaken, seemingly in response to the risk of death he associates with Heihachi’s style. Reina suddenly forfeits the match, apparently having seen all she needs to.
Hwoarang enters the ring despite not being scheduled to fight Jin next. The two fight, and Jin feels a heat within his body that he had previously forgotten. His devil powers awaken in response to it, and he is able to defeat Hwoarang. Jin wonders why he didn’t lose himself to his devil powers in this instance. Hwoarang remarks on Jin’s ‘weird-ass power’, but then says, ‘still, that’s just another part of you.’ Jin meets Reina in another corridor. She tells him that she wants to join him in taking out Kazuya Mishima. Jin asks if that has anything to do with her use of Mishima Style Karate. Reina brushes off his suspicions, telling him she learned it from the internet.[9] Nina Williams, who is working for G Corporation, tells Kazuya that a woman he was looking for is with the Sirius Marksmen. Kazuya tells Nina to ensure that the woman does not leave Italy.
At the Sirius Sanctuary, Ling Xiaoyu and Panda watch Jin’s win against Hwoarang on Xiaoyu’s phone. Claudio Serafino and Zafina, meanwhile, discuss Azazel, the ancient demon that Jin Kazama once defeated, the spirit of which is now sealed in Zafina’s arm. Zafina notes that Jin is growing weaker while Kazuya grows ever stronger. Zafina tells Claudio they must seek out Jin to prevent Kazuya from annihilating the world, and Xiaoyu insists on going with them.
Niklas and Leo Kliesen arrive at the Yggdrasil base. Niklas has been researching the Devil Gene and its origins. Leo recognizes Jin as the one who waged war as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu months before and spars with him. Later, Niklas explains to Yggdrasil’s leadership that devils are humans that possess a fraction of Azazel’s power. Azazel once used these devils as its servants. These devils were able to access their superhuman powers by drawing upon their desire. Lars hypothesizes that Kazuya’s power comes from his avarice. Leo tells Jin that they did not sense any selfish emotions in Jin whilst they were sparring, only warmth.
Victor Chevalier, leader of the United Nations Raven Unit, receives a communication from Raven regarding Kazuya Mishima’s warmongering intentions. Victor resolves to contact Lars and unite the power of their forces to conduct a joint operation against Kazuya.[10]
The next stage of the King of Iron Fist Tournament is held in a coliseum in Italy. Yggdrasil and United Nations forces surround the coliseum, preparing to commence their operation. Meanwhile, Jin faces Leroy Smith, who impresses on him the importance of fighting from the heart, not relying on physical strength alone. Jin defeats Leroy, and then Kazuya appears, declaring that all hierarchies in his world will be determined by strength alone.
Xiaoyu, Claudio, and Zafina arrive at the coliseum.[11] They rush in as Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces storm the arena. Kazuya assumes his devil form and captures Zafina. He uses his power to expel Azazel from her, causing the sky to turn dark. Wounded, Zafina tells Jin that he needs to return to the ‘point of origin’ to purge himself of evil. Jin realizes he must go to his birthplace, Yakushima. Azazel, having once again achieved physical form, is called forth by Kazuya. Azazel tells Kazuya it intends to make him a part of itself, but Kazuya is able to defeat it and force it to become part of him. After absorbing Azazel, Kazuya takes on a more powerful monstrous form.[12] Claudio tells Jin that any attempt to combat Kazuya in this form will fail at this time. He tells him to do as Zafina said. Jin leaves for Yakushima with Xiaoyu accompanying him.
A cohort of fighters stay at the coliseum to hold Kazuya off. Claudio tells Victor that he has a ‘secret stratagem’, but that he will need time to enact it. The other fighters buy Claudio time by attacking Kazuya. Kazuya is able to easily brush them off until Reina approaches him. They fight one on one, and Kazuya recognizes that Reina is using Mishima Style Karate. Reina is resilient, but is ultimately defeated by Kazuya. Claudio is finally able to restrain Kazuya using his magic and fires the Spear of Kephalos at him. Kazuya breaks free, however, and evades the attack. He fires a laser at Claudio. Moments before being struck, Claudio is able to redirect the magical projectile to hit Kazuya, clipping his shoulder. The injury causes Kazuya to become unstable, and he flees to recuperate.[13]
Back at G Corporation headquarters, Nina informs Kazuya that all available troops have been deployed to Yakushima. Kazuya orders that Jin Kazama be left alive so that he can kill him with his own hands. Meanwhile, Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces travel to Yakushima to buy Jin time.
Once they have arrived on Yakushima, Jin and Xiaoyu walk to the shrine where Jin and his mother once trained together. Xiaoyu asks Jin what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he tells her he never desired anything beyond protecting his mother and their home. They reach a clearing and Xiaoyu suggests they spar to see if it will help Jin discover what he needs to do. After they’ve fought, Jin hears a lullaby from his childhood. He follows the sound of it into the opening of a sanctum. His body falters, and he promises Xiaoyu he will return before falling unconscious.[14] Xiaoyu watches over him, but is alerted to danger when she hears loud crashes outside. She fights off waves of Jack-7 robots to protect Jin while he is vulnerable.[15] Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces clash with G Corporation on Yakushima. Lars has Alisa do a scan of the island, and Lars leaves to assist Jin and Xiaoyu when he is informed of their location.
Yggdrasil and the United Nations are able to hold their own until Kazuya, once again in his monstrous devil form, reaches the battlefield. He uses lasers to inflict massive damage on the ground forces, shooting at the battlefield indiscriminately. Reina purposefully stands in the path of one of these lasers, taking the full force of it. Kazuya senses Jin’s location and heads straight for him. As Kazuya leaves, Reina wakes up, one of her eyes now bright red.[16]
Kazuya and Lars both reach Xiaoyu, who has managed to hold off the Jack-7 robots. Lars fights Kazuya to keep him from reaching Jin.[17] Meanwhile, Jin faces his devil form on a plane of his subconscious. His devil form taunts him, telling him that power derived from anger and hatred is essential, and that Jin can atone for his past actions only through solitude. Jin rejects these ideas, stating that awareness of his past mistakes is what will allow him to move forward. Jin then encounters his Devil form as a mirror image of himself. Jin resolves that he is done rejecting his devil form as an innate part of himself, acknowledging that he can only move on if he accepts all he is and all he has done. Devil Jin asks him what it is he truly desires, and Jin states that he is determined to protect those who are precious to him. His devil form grants him all of its power, and Jin realizes that it has made efforts to protect him in the past. He thanks it, and apologizes for misunderstanding its intentions previously.[18]
Jin awakens in time to save Lars from the path of one of Kazuya’s lasers. Jin fights Kazuya in his own devil form, which now possesses one white wing, one black. Jin is able to hold his own against Kazuya, but eventually finds himself struggling to hold back a massive attack that Kazuya intends to destroy Yakushima with. As he attempts to hold the attack off, even if he must die doing so, he has a vision of his mother, Jun Kazama. She tells him that a noble death will cause pain to those around Jin. She reminds him that the Kazama way is to protect the well-being of those around him and his own life. Jin asks his mother if he has the right to desire life after all he has done. She tells him that a Kazama’s power is to foster life and cleanse evil. Jin assumes a new form, Angel Jin. Jun tells him he can use his power to save himself and his father.
In his new form, Jin is able to redirect Kazuya’s attack to the ocean, saving Yakushima.[19] Angel Jin and Devil Kazuya fight in the sky briefly before being lifted into the stratosphere by a large chunk off rock from under the sea as a result of Kazuya's attack, only to continue fighting there. Through this fight, both Jin and his father are purified of their devil afflictions.[20] With their devil powers gone, they continue their fight once more as the ground they fought on returns to the Earth's surface.[21] Jin is able to use all his teachings – from his mother’s Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts to the Mishima Style Fighting Karate he once rejected – as well as his determination to protect those he cares about to defeat Kazuya. Jin leaves Kazuya unconscious as he goes to regroup with his loved ones. Jin believes the world to finally have been freed from the influence of devils and their powers.
Later, Jun appears to find Kazuya’s unconscious form. Later still, it is revealed that Reina understands Heihachi Mishima to be her father. Additionally, her brush with death in the path of Kazuya’s laser has given her the ability to take on a devil form.[22]
There is an alternate ending if the player loses to Kazuya during the final round of this last battle. In this ending, Kazuya throws Jin and off a cliff and proclaims that, even without his devil powers, power rules everything. He decides to finish his global invasion.[23] Taking into account the character arcs and themes of the overall narrative, it is highly likely that this ending is non-canonical.
Tekken 8 (鉄拳8 lit. Iron Fist 8?) is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series.
- It is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika[1] and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
- It was announced on September 13th, 2022 via the PlayStation State of Play.[2]
- The game was released on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.[3]
TEKKEN 8 — Azucena Reveal & Gameplay Trailer
Prior to the game's release, Katsuhiro Harada revealed, "This new entry will focus on the father and son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama."[4] Harada stated that, Tekken 8 is set six months after Tekken 7 and will feature Jun Kazama as a "focal point of the story".[5] In a press release, Bandai Namco Entertainment stated the following:
"This latest saga begins where the previous title left off, with a world mired deep in the devastating war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. After suffering what seems to be a defeat from Kazuya, Jin faces his own fate. His mother, Jun Kazama, appears after her absence from the Tekken franchise to try and turn the tide in this blood feud."[6]
Yggdrasil, Lars Alexandersson’s rebel army, commence Operation Lightning, a strike intended to take out Kazuya Mishima, the leader of G Corporation. On Lars’s orders, Jin Kazama confronts his father Kazuya in New York City. Both use the power of their Devil Genes during the fight, but Jin fails to maintain control over his devil form, transforming completely and ultimately losing to Kazuya. Kazuya destroys a wide array of satellites, causing widespread communications outages, and announces that G Corporation will be holding the eighth King of Iron Fist Tournament, stating that it is a means to discover who deserves a place in the world under his rule.
Jin has a vision of his Devil form extending a hand to him, but he rejects its offer of assistance. One week later, Jin is recuperating at an Yggdrasil base. He and Lars spar, only for Lee Chaolan to interrupt and share the troubling news that Jin’s strength and abilities have diminished. Jin attempts to use his devil powers, but is unable to access them.[7]
Three days later, Jin almost collapses whilst training. Alisa Bosconovitch goes to his aid, and tells Jin that he is the hope of mankind.
Lee tells Lars that he will be contacting experts who are investigating the Devil Gene. Jin, believing that he will regain his ability to use his devil powers if he is put at risk of death, tells Lars and Lee of his intention to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Lars is concerned that it is a trap set by G Corporation, but Jin resolves to enter.[8]
Three days later, Jin is at the arena for the tournament’s Asia Preliminaries. While he is walking down a corridor, he encounters a young woman called Reina, who tells him she attends Mishima Polytechnic, the same school Jin used to go to. Jin ignores her and walks past her. Jin and Reina are matched in the semifinals. As they fight, Jin realizes she is using Mishima Style Fighting Karate like his late grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. After Reina lands a blow on him, Jin’s devil powers briefly reawaken, seemingly in response to the risk of death he associates with Heihachi’s style. Reina suddenly forfeits the match, apparently having seen all she needs to.
Hwoarang enters the ring despite not being scheduled to fight Jin next. The two fight, and Jin feels a heat within his body that he had previously forgotten. His devil powers awaken in response to it, and he is able to defeat Hwoarang. Jin wonders why he didn’t lose himself to his devil powers in this instance. Hwoarang remarks on Jin’s ‘weird-ass power’, but then says, ‘still, that’s just another part of you.’ Jin meets Reina in another corridor. She tells him that she wants to join him in taking out Kazuya Mishima. Jin asks if that has anything to do with her use of Mishima Style Karate. Reina brushes off his suspicions, telling him she learned it from the internet.[9] Nina Williams, who is working for G Corporation, tells Kazuya that a woman he was looking for is with the Sirius Marksmen. Kazuya tells Nina to ensure that the woman does not leave Italy.
At the Sirius Sanctuary, Ling Xiaoyu and Panda watch Jin’s win against Hwoarang on Xiaoyu’s phone. Claudio Serafino and Zafina, meanwhile, discuss Azazel, the ancient demon that Jin Kazama once defeated, the spirit of which is now sealed in Zafina’s arm. Zafina notes that Jin is growing weaker while Kazuya grows ever stronger. Zafina tells Claudio they must seek out Jin to prevent Kazuya from annihilating the world, and Xiaoyu insists on going with them.
Niklas and Leo Kliesen arrive at the Yggdrasil base. Niklas has been researching the Devil Gene and its origins. Leo recognizes Jin as the one who waged war as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu months before and spars with him. Later, Niklas explains to Yggdrasil’s leadership that devils are humans that possess a fraction of Azazel’s power. Azazel once used these devils as its servants. These devils were able to access their superhuman powers by drawing upon their desire. Lars hypothesizes that Kazuya’s power comes from his avarice. Leo tells Jin that they did not sense any selfish emotions in Jin whilst they were sparring, only warmth.
Victor Chevalier, leader of the United Nations Raven Unit, receives a communication from Raven regarding Kazuya Mishima’s warmongering intentions. Victor resolves to contact Lars and unite the power of their forces to conduct a joint operation against Kazuya.[10]
The next stage of the King of Iron Fist Tournament is held in a coliseum in Italy. Yggdrasil and United Nations forces surround the coliseum, preparing to commence their operation. Meanwhile, Jin faces Leroy Smith, who impresses on him the importance of fighting from the heart, not relying on physical strength alone. Jin defeats Leroy, and then Kazuya appears, declaring that all hierarchies in his world will be determined by strength alone.
Xiaoyu, Claudio, and Zafina arrive at the coliseum.[11] They rush in as Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces storm the arena. Kazuya assumes his devil form and captures Zafina. He uses his power to expel Azazel from her, causing the sky to turn dark. Wounded, Zafina tells Jin that he needs to return to the ‘point of origin’ to purge himself of evil. Jin realizes he must go to his birthplace, Yakushima. Azazel, having once again achieved physical form, is called forth by Kazuya. Azazel tells Kazuya it intends to make him a part of itself, but Kazuya is able to defeat it and force it to become part of him. After absorbing Azazel, Kazuya takes on a more powerful monstrous form.[12] Claudio tells Jin that any attempt to combat Kazuya in this form will fail at this time. He tells him to do as Zafina said. Jin leaves for Yakushima with Xiaoyu accompanying him.
A cohort of fighters stay at the coliseum to hold Kazuya off. Claudio tells Victor that he has a ‘secret stratagem’, but that he will need time to enact it. The other fighters buy Claudio time by attacking Kazuya. Kazuya is able to easily brush them off until Reina approaches him. They fight one on one, and Kazuya recognizes that Reina is using Mishima Style Karate. Reina is resilient, but is ultimately defeated by Kazuya. Claudio is finally able to restrain Kazuya using his magic and fires the Spear of Kephalos at him. Kazuya breaks free, however, and evades the attack. He fires a laser at Claudio. Moments before being struck, Claudio is able to redirect the magical projectile to hit Kazuya, clipping his shoulder. The injury causes Kazuya to become unstable, and he flees to recuperate.[13]
Back at G Corporation headquarters, Nina informs Kazuya that all available troops have been deployed to Yakushima. Kazuya orders that Jin Kazama be left alive so that he can kill him with his own hands. Meanwhile, Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces travel to Yakushima to buy Jin time.
Once they have arrived on Yakushima, Jin and Xiaoyu walk to the shrine where Jin and his mother once trained together. Xiaoyu asks Jin what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he tells her he never desired anything beyond protecting his mother and their home. They reach a clearing and Xiaoyu suggests they spar to see if it will help Jin discover what he needs to do. After they’ve fought, Jin hears a lullaby from his childhood. He follows the sound of it into the opening of a sanctum. His body falters, and he promises Xiaoyu he will return before falling unconscious.[14] Xiaoyu watches over him, but is alerted to danger when she hears loud crashes outside. She fights off waves of Jack-7 robots to protect Jin while he is vulnerable.[15] Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces clash with G Corporation on Yakushima. Lars has Alisa do a scan of the island, and Lars leaves to assist Jin and Xiaoyu when he is informed of their location.
Yggdrasil and the United Nations are able to hold their own until Kazuya, once again in his monstrous devil form, reaches the battlefield. He uses lasers to inflict massive damage on the ground forces, shooting at the battlefield indiscriminately. Reina purposefully stands in the path of one of these lasers, taking the full force of it. Kazuya senses Jin’s location and heads straight for him. As Kazuya leaves, Reina wakes up, one of her eyes now bright red.[16]
Kazuya and Lars both reach Xiaoyu, who has managed to hold off the Jack-7 robots. Lars fights Kazuya to keep him from reaching Jin.[17] Meanwhile, Jin faces his devil form on a plane of his subconscious. His devil form taunts him, telling him that power derived from anger and hatred is essential, and that Jin can atone for his past actions only through solitude. Jin rejects these ideas, stating that awareness of his past mistakes is what will allow him to move forward. Jin then encounters his Devil form as a mirror image of himself. Jin resolves that he is done rejecting his devil form as an innate part of himself, acknowledging that he can only move on if he accepts all he is and all he has done. Devil Jin asks him what it is he truly desires, and Jin states that he is determined to protect those who are precious to him. His devil form grants him all of its power, and Jin realizes that it has made efforts to protect him in the past. He thanks it, and apologizes for misunderstanding its intentions previously.[18]
Jin awakens in time to save Lars from the path of one of Kazuya’s lasers. Jin fights Kazuya in his own devil form, which now possesses one white wing, one black. Jin is able to hold his own against Kazuya, but eventually finds himself struggling to hold back a massive attack that Kazuya intends to destroy Yakushima with. As he attempts to hold the attack off, even if he must die doing so, he has a vision of his mother, Jun Kazama. She tells him that a noble death will cause pain to those around Jin. She reminds him that the Kazama way is to protect the well-being of those around him and his own life. Jin asks his mother if he has the right to desire life after all he has done. She tells him that a Kazama’s power is to foster life and cleanse evil. Jin assumes a new form, Angel Jin. Jun tells him he can use his power to save himself and his father.
In his new form, Jin is able to redirect Kazuya’s attack to the ocean, saving Yakushima.[19] Angel Jin and Devil Kazuya fight in the sky briefly before being lifted into the stratosphere by a large chunk off rock from under the sea as a result of Kazuya's attack, only to continue fighting there. Through this fight, both Jin and his father are purified of their devil afflictions.[20] With their devil powers gone, they continue their fight once more as the ground they fought on returns to the Earth's surface.[21] Jin is able to use all his teachings – from his mother’s Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts to the Mishima Style Fighting Karate he once rejected – as well as his determination to protect those he cares about to defeat Kazuya. Jin leaves Kazuya unconscious as he goes to regroup with his loved ones. Jin believes the world to finally have been freed from the influence of devils and their powers.
Later, Jun appears to find Kazuya’s unconscious form. Later still, it is revealed that Reina understands Heihachi Mishima to be her father. Additionally, her brush with death in the path of Kazuya’s laser has given her the ability to take on a devil form.[22]
There is an alternate ending if the player loses to Kazuya during the final round of this last battle. In this ending, Kazuya throws Jin and off a cliff and proclaims that, even without his devil powers, power rules everything. He decides to finish his global invasion.[23] Taking into account the character arcs and themes of the overall narrative, it is highly likely that this ending is non-canonical.
Tekken 8 (鉄拳8 lit. Iron Fist 8?) is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series.
- It is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika[1] and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
- It was announced on September 13th, 2022 via the PlayStation State of Play.[2]
- The game was released on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.[3]
TEKKEN 8 — Azucena Reveal & Gameplay Trailer
Prior to the game's release, Katsuhiro Harada revealed, "This new entry will focus on the father and son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama."[4] Harada stated that, Tekken 8 is set six months after Tekken 7 and will feature Jun Kazama as a "focal point of the story".[5] In a press release, Bandai Namco Entertainment stated the following:
"This latest saga begins where the previous title left off, with a world mired deep in the devastating war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. After suffering what seems to be a defeat from Kazuya, Jin faces his own fate. His mother, Jun Kazama, appears after her absence from the Tekken franchise to try and turn the tide in this blood feud."[6]
Yggdrasil, Lars Alexandersson’s rebel army, commence Operation Lightning, a strike intended to take out Kazuya Mishima, the leader of G Corporation. On Lars’s orders, Jin Kazama confronts his father Kazuya in New York City. Both use the power of their Devil Genes during the fight, but Jin fails to maintain control over his devil form, transforming completely and ultimately losing to Kazuya. Kazuya destroys a wide array of satellites, causing widespread communications outages, and announces that G Corporation will be holding the eighth King of Iron Fist Tournament, stating that it is a means to discover who deserves a place in the world under his rule.
Jin has a vision of his Devil form extending a hand to him, but he rejects its offer of assistance. One week later, Jin is recuperating at an Yggdrasil base. He and Lars spar, only for Lee Chaolan to interrupt and share the troubling news that Jin’s strength and abilities have diminished. Jin attempts to use his devil powers, but is unable to access them.[7]
Three days later, Jin almost collapses whilst training. Alisa Bosconovitch goes to his aid, and tells Jin that he is the hope of mankind.
Lee tells Lars that he will be contacting experts who are investigating the Devil Gene. Jin, believing that he will regain his ability to use his devil powers if he is put at risk of death, tells Lars and Lee of his intention to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Lars is concerned that it is a trap set by G Corporation, but Jin resolves to enter.[8]
Three days later, Jin is at the arena for the tournament’s Asia Preliminaries. While he is walking down a corridor, he encounters a young woman called Reina, who tells him she attends Mishima Polytechnic, the same school Jin used to go to. Jin ignores her and walks past her. Jin and Reina are matched in the semifinals. As they fight, Jin realizes she is using Mishima Style Fighting Karate like his late grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. After Reina lands a blow on him, Jin’s devil powers briefly reawaken, seemingly in response to the risk of death he associates with Heihachi’s style. Reina suddenly forfeits the match, apparently having seen all she needs to.
Hwoarang enters the ring despite not being scheduled to fight Jin next. The two fight, and Jin feels a heat within his body that he had previously forgotten. His devil powers awaken in response to it, and he is able to defeat Hwoarang. Jin wonders why he didn’t lose himself to his devil powers in this instance. Hwoarang remarks on Jin’s ‘weird-ass power’, but then says, ‘still, that’s just another part of you.’ Jin meets Reina in another corridor. She tells him that she wants to join him in taking out Kazuya Mishima. Jin asks if that has anything to do with her use of Mishima Style Karate. Reina brushes off his suspicions, telling him she learned it from the internet.[9] Nina Williams, who is working for G Corporation, tells Kazuya that a woman he was looking for is with the Sirius Marksmen. Kazuya tells Nina to ensure that the woman does not leave Italy.
At the Sirius Sanctuary, Ling Xiaoyu and Panda watch Jin’s win against Hwoarang on Xiaoyu’s phone. Claudio Serafino and Zafina, meanwhile, discuss Azazel, the ancient demon that Jin Kazama once defeated, the spirit of which is now sealed in Zafina’s arm. Zafina notes that Jin is growing weaker while Kazuya grows ever stronger. Zafina tells Claudio they must seek out Jin to prevent Kazuya from annihilating the world, and Xiaoyu insists on going with them.
Niklas and Leo Kliesen arrive at the Yggdrasil base. Niklas has been researching the Devil Gene and its origins. Leo recognizes Jin as the one who waged war as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu months before and spars with him. Later, Niklas explains to Yggdrasil’s leadership that devils are humans that possess a fraction of Azazel’s power. Azazel once used these devils as its servants. These devils were able to access their superhuman powers by drawing upon their desire. Lars hypothesizes that Kazuya’s power comes from his avarice. Leo tells Jin that they did not sense any selfish emotions in Jin whilst they were sparring, only warmth.
Victor Chevalier, leader of the United Nations Raven Unit, receives a communication from Raven regarding Kazuya Mishima’s warmongering intentions. Victor resolves to contact Lars and unite the power of their forces to conduct a joint operation against Kazuya.[10]
The next stage of the King of Iron Fist Tournament is held in a coliseum in Italy. Yggdrasil and United Nations forces surround the coliseum, preparing to commence their operation. Meanwhile, Jin faces Leroy Smith, who impresses on him the importance of fighting from the heart, not relying on physical strength alone. Jin defeats Leroy, and then Kazuya appears, declaring that all hierarchies in his world will be determined by strength alone.
Xiaoyu, Claudio, and Zafina arrive at the coliseum.[11] They rush in as Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces storm the arena. Kazuya assumes his devil form and captures Zafina. He uses his power to expel Azazel from her, causing the sky to turn dark. Wounded, Zafina tells Jin that he needs to return to the ‘point of origin’ to purge himself of evil. Jin realizes he must go to his birthplace, Yakushima. Azazel, having once again achieved physical form, is called forth by Kazuya. Azazel tells Kazuya it intends to make him a part of itself, but Kazuya is able to defeat it and force it to become part of him. After absorbing Azazel, Kazuya takes on a more powerful monstrous form.[12] Claudio tells Jin that any attempt to combat Kazuya in this form will fail at this time. He tells him to do as Zafina said. Jin leaves for Yakushima with Xiaoyu accompanying him.
A cohort of fighters stay at the coliseum to hold Kazuya off. Claudio tells Victor that he has a ‘secret stratagem’, but that he will need time to enact it. The other fighters buy Claudio time by attacking Kazuya. Kazuya is able to easily brush them off until Reina approaches him. They fight one on one, and Kazuya recognizes that Reina is using Mishima Style Karate. Reina is resilient, but is ultimately defeated by Kazuya. Claudio is finally able to restrain Kazuya using his magic and fires the Spear of Kephalos at him. Kazuya breaks free, however, and evades the attack. He fires a laser at Claudio. Moments before being struck, Claudio is able to redirect the magical projectile to hit Kazuya, clipping his shoulder. The injury causes Kazuya to become unstable, and he flees to recuperate.[13]
Back at G Corporation headquarters, Nina informs Kazuya that all available troops have been deployed to Yakushima. Kazuya orders that Jin Kazama be left alive so that he can kill him with his own hands. Meanwhile, Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces travel to Yakushima to buy Jin time.
Once they have arrived on Yakushima, Jin and Xiaoyu walk to the shrine where Jin and his mother once trained together. Xiaoyu asks Jin what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he tells her he never desired anything beyond protecting his mother and their home. They reach a clearing and Xiaoyu suggests they spar to see if it will help Jin discover what he needs to do. After they’ve fought, Jin hears a lullaby from his childhood. He follows the sound of it into the opening of a sanctum. His body falters, and he promises Xiaoyu he will return before falling unconscious.[14] Xiaoyu watches over him, but is alerted to danger when she hears loud crashes outside. She fights off waves of Jack-7 robots to protect Jin while he is vulnerable.[15] Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces clash with G Corporation on Yakushima. Lars has Alisa do a scan of the island, and Lars leaves to assist Jin and Xiaoyu when he is informed of their location.
Yggdrasil and the United Nations are able to hold their own until Kazuya, once again in his monstrous devil form, reaches the battlefield. He uses lasers to inflict massive damage on the ground forces, shooting at the battlefield indiscriminately. Reina purposefully stands in the path of one of these lasers, taking the full force of it. Kazuya senses Jin’s location and heads straight for him. As Kazuya leaves, Reina wakes up, one of her eyes now bright red.[16]
Kazuya and Lars both reach Xiaoyu, who has managed to hold off the Jack-7 robots. Lars fights Kazuya to keep him from reaching Jin.[17] Meanwhile, Jin faces his devil form on a plane of his subconscious. His devil form taunts him, telling him that power derived from anger and hatred is essential, and that Jin can atone for his past actions only through solitude. Jin rejects these ideas, stating that awareness of his past mistakes is what will allow him to move forward. Jin then encounters his Devil form as a mirror image of himself. Jin resolves that he is done rejecting his devil form as an innate part of himself, acknowledging that he can only move on if he accepts all he is and all he has done. Devil Jin asks him what it is he truly desires, and Jin states that he is determined to protect those who are precious to him. His devil form grants him all of its power, and Jin realizes that it has made efforts to protect him in the past. He thanks it, and apologizes for misunderstanding its intentions previously.[18]
Jin awakens in time to save Lars from the path of one of Kazuya’s lasers. Jin fights Kazuya in his own devil form, which now possesses one white wing, one black. Jin is able to hold his own against Kazuya, but eventually finds himself struggling to hold back a massive attack that Kazuya intends to destroy Yakushima with. As he attempts to hold the attack off, even if he must die doing so, he has a vision of his mother, Jun Kazama. She tells him that a noble death will cause pain to those around Jin. She reminds him that the Kazama way is to protect the well-being of those around him and his own life. Jin asks his mother if he has the right to desire life after all he has done. She tells him that a Kazama’s power is to foster life and cleanse evil. Jin assumes a new form, Angel Jin. Jun tells him he can use his power to save himself and his father.
In his new form, Jin is able to redirect Kazuya’s attack to the ocean, saving Yakushima.[19] Angel Jin and Devil Kazuya fight in the sky briefly before being lifted into the stratosphere by a large chunk off rock from under the sea as a result of Kazuya's attack, only to continue fighting there. Through this fight, both Jin and his father are purified of their devil afflictions.[20] With their devil powers gone, they continue their fight once more as the ground they fought on returns to the Earth's surface.[21] Jin is able to use all his teachings – from his mother’s Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts to the Mishima Style Fighting Karate he once rejected – as well as his determination to protect those he cares about to defeat Kazuya. Jin leaves Kazuya unconscious as he goes to regroup with his loved ones. Jin believes the world to finally have been freed from the influence of devils and their powers.
Later, Jun appears to find Kazuya’s unconscious form. Later still, it is revealed that Reina understands Heihachi Mishima to be her father. Additionally, her brush with death in the path of Kazuya’s laser has given her the ability to take on a devil form.[22]
There is an alternate ending if the player loses to Kazuya during the final round of this last battle. In this ending, Kazuya throws Jin and off a cliff and proclaims that, even without his devil powers, power rules everything. He decides to finish his global invasion.[23] Taking into account the character arcs and themes of the overall narrative, it is highly likely that this ending is non-canonical.
Tekken 8 (鉄拳8 lit. Iron Fist 8?) is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series.
- It is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika[1] and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
- It was announced on September 13th, 2022 via the PlayStation State of Play.[2]
- The game was released on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.[3]
TEKKEN 8 — Azucena Reveal & Gameplay Trailer
Prior to the game's release, Katsuhiro Harada revealed, "This new entry will focus on the father and son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama."[4] Harada stated that, Tekken 8 is set six months after Tekken 7 and will feature Jun Kazama as a "focal point of the story".[5] In a press release, Bandai Namco Entertainment stated the following:
"This latest saga begins where the previous title left off, with a world mired deep in the devastating war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. After suffering what seems to be a defeat from Kazuya, Jin faces his own fate. His mother, Jun Kazama, appears after her absence from the Tekken franchise to try and turn the tide in this blood feud."[6]
Yggdrasil, Lars Alexandersson’s rebel army, commence Operation Lightning, a strike intended to take out Kazuya Mishima, the leader of G Corporation. On Lars’s orders, Jin Kazama confronts his father Kazuya in New York City. Both use the power of their Devil Genes during the fight, but Jin fails to maintain control over his devil form, transforming completely and ultimately losing to Kazuya. Kazuya destroys a wide array of satellites, causing widespread communications outages, and announces that G Corporation will be holding the eighth King of Iron Fist Tournament, stating that it is a means to discover who deserves a place in the world under his rule.
Jin has a vision of his Devil form extending a hand to him, but he rejects its offer of assistance. One week later, Jin is recuperating at an Yggdrasil base. He and Lars spar, only for Lee Chaolan to interrupt and share the troubling news that Jin’s strength and abilities have diminished. Jin attempts to use his devil powers, but is unable to access them.[7]
Three days later, Jin almost collapses whilst training. Alisa Bosconovitch goes to his aid, and tells Jin that he is the hope of mankind.
Lee tells Lars that he will be contacting experts who are investigating the Devil Gene. Jin, believing that he will regain his ability to use his devil powers if he is put at risk of death, tells Lars and Lee of his intention to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Lars is concerned that it is a trap set by G Corporation, but Jin resolves to enter.[8]
Three days later, Jin is at the arena for the tournament’s Asia Preliminaries. While he is walking down a corridor, he encounters a young woman called Reina, who tells him she attends Mishima Polytechnic, the same school Jin used to go to. Jin ignores her and walks past her. Jin and Reina are matched in the semifinals. As they fight, Jin realizes she is using Mishima Style Fighting Karate like his late grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. After Reina lands a blow on him, Jin’s devil powers briefly reawaken, seemingly in response to the risk of death he associates with Heihachi’s style. Reina suddenly forfeits the match, apparently having seen all she needs to.
Hwoarang enters the ring despite not being scheduled to fight Jin next. The two fight, and Jin feels a heat within his body that he had previously forgotten. His devil powers awaken in response to it, and he is able to defeat Hwoarang. Jin wonders why he didn’t lose himself to his devil powers in this instance. Hwoarang remarks on Jin’s ‘weird-ass power’, but then says, ‘still, that’s just another part of you.’ Jin meets Reina in another corridor. She tells him that she wants to join him in taking out Kazuya Mishima. Jin asks if that has anything to do with her use of Mishima Style Karate. Reina brushes off his suspicions, telling him she learned it from the internet.[9] Nina Williams, who is working for G Corporation, tells Kazuya that a woman he was looking for is with the Sirius Marksmen. Kazuya tells Nina to ensure that the woman does not leave Italy.
At the Sirius Sanctuary, Ling Xiaoyu and Panda watch Jin’s win against Hwoarang on Xiaoyu’s phone. Claudio Serafino and Zafina, meanwhile, discuss Azazel, the ancient demon that Jin Kazama once defeated, the spirit of which is now sealed in Zafina’s arm. Zafina notes that Jin is growing weaker while Kazuya grows ever stronger. Zafina tells Claudio they must seek out Jin to prevent Kazuya from annihilating the world, and Xiaoyu insists on going with them.
Niklas and Leo Kliesen arrive at the Yggdrasil base. Niklas has been researching the Devil Gene and its origins. Leo recognizes Jin as the one who waged war as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu months before and spars with him. Later, Niklas explains to Yggdrasil’s leadership that devils are humans that possess a fraction of Azazel’s power. Azazel once used these devils as its servants. These devils were able to access their superhuman powers by drawing upon their desire. Lars hypothesizes that Kazuya’s power comes from his avarice. Leo tells Jin that they did not sense any selfish emotions in Jin whilst they were sparring, only warmth.
Victor Chevalier, leader of the United Nations Raven Unit, receives a communication from Raven regarding Kazuya Mishima’s warmongering intentions. Victor resolves to contact Lars and unite the power of their forces to conduct a joint operation against Kazuya.[10]
The next stage of the King of Iron Fist Tournament is held in a coliseum in Italy. Yggdrasil and United Nations forces surround the coliseum, preparing to commence their operation. Meanwhile, Jin faces Leroy Smith, who impresses on him the importance of fighting from the heart, not relying on physical strength alone. Jin defeats Leroy, and then Kazuya appears, declaring that all hierarchies in his world will be determined by strength alone.
Xiaoyu, Claudio, and Zafina arrive at the coliseum.[11] They rush in as Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces storm the arena. Kazuya assumes his devil form and captures Zafina. He uses his power to expel Azazel from her, causing the sky to turn dark. Wounded, Zafina tells Jin that he needs to return to the ‘point of origin’ to purge himself of evil. Jin realizes he must go to his birthplace, Yakushima. Azazel, having once again achieved physical form, is called forth by Kazuya. Azazel tells Kazuya it intends to make him a part of itself, but Kazuya is able to defeat it and force it to become part of him. After absorbing Azazel, Kazuya takes on a more powerful monstrous form.[12] Claudio tells Jin that any attempt to combat Kazuya in this form will fail at this time. He tells him to do as Zafina said. Jin leaves for Yakushima with Xiaoyu accompanying him.
A cohort of fighters stay at the coliseum to hold Kazuya off. Claudio tells Victor that he has a ‘secret stratagem’, but that he will need time to enact it. The other fighters buy Claudio time by attacking Kazuya. Kazuya is able to easily brush them off until Reina approaches him. They fight one on one, and Kazuya recognizes that Reina is using Mishima Style Karate. Reina is resilient, but is ultimately defeated by Kazuya. Claudio is finally able to restrain Kazuya using his magic and fires the Spear of Kephalos at him. Kazuya breaks free, however, and evades the attack. He fires a laser at Claudio. Moments before being struck, Claudio is able to redirect the magical projectile to hit Kazuya, clipping his shoulder. The injury causes Kazuya to become unstable, and he flees to recuperate.[13]
Back at G Corporation headquarters, Nina informs Kazuya that all available troops have been deployed to Yakushima. Kazuya orders that Jin Kazama be left alive so that he can kill him with his own hands. Meanwhile, Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces travel to Yakushima to buy Jin time.
Once they have arrived on Yakushima, Jin and Xiaoyu walk to the shrine where Jin and his mother once trained together. Xiaoyu asks Jin what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he tells her he never desired anything beyond protecting his mother and their home. They reach a clearing and Xiaoyu suggests they spar to see if it will help Jin discover what he needs to do. After they’ve fought, Jin hears a lullaby from his childhood. He follows the sound of it into the opening of a sanctum. His body falters, and he promises Xiaoyu he will return before falling unconscious.[14] Xiaoyu watches over him, but is alerted to danger when she hears loud crashes outside. She fights off waves of Jack-7 robots to protect Jin while he is vulnerable.[15] Yggdrasil and the United Nations forces clash with G Corporation on Yakushima. Lars has Alisa do a scan of the island, and Lars leaves to assist Jin and Xiaoyu when he is informed of their location.
Yggdrasil and the United Nations are able to hold their own until Kazuya, once again in his monstrous devil form, reaches the battlefield. He uses lasers to inflict massive damage on the ground forces, shooting at the battlefield indiscriminately. Reina purposefully stands in the path of one of these lasers, taking the full force of it. Kazuya senses Jin’s location and heads straight for him. As Kazuya leaves, Reina wakes up, one of her eyes now bright red.[16]
Kazuya and Lars both reach Xiaoyu, who has managed to hold off the Jack-7 robots. Lars fights Kazuya to keep him from reaching Jin.[17] Meanwhile, Jin faces his devil form on a plane of his subconscious. His devil form taunts him, telling him that power derived from anger and hatred is essential, and that Jin can atone for his past actions only through solitude. Jin rejects these ideas, stating that awareness of his past mistakes is what will allow him to move forward. Jin then encounters his Devil form as a mirror image of himself. Jin resolves that he is done rejecting his devil form as an innate part of himself, acknowledging that he can only move on if he accepts all he is and all he has done. Devil Jin asks him what it is he truly desires, and Jin states that he is determined to protect those who are precious to him. His devil form grants him all of its power, and Jin realizes that it has made efforts to protect him in the past. He thanks it, and apologizes for misunderstanding its intentions previously.[18]
Jin awakens in time to save Lars from the path of one of Kazuya’s lasers. Jin fights Kazuya in his own devil form, which now possesses one white wing, one black. Jin is able to hold his own against Kazuya, but eventually finds himself struggling to hold back a massive attack that Kazuya intends to destroy Yakushima with. As he attempts to hold the attack off, even if he must die doing so, he has a vision of his mother, Jun Kazama. She tells him that a noble death will cause pain to those around Jin. She reminds him that the Kazama way is to protect the well-being of those around him and his own life. Jin asks his mother if he has the right to desire life after all he has done. She tells him that a Kazama’s power is to foster life and cleanse evil. Jin assumes a new form, Angel Jin. Jun tells him he can use his power to save himself and his father.
In his new form, Jin is able to redirect Kazuya’s attack to the ocean, saving Yakushima.[19] Angel Jin and Devil Kazuya fight in the sky briefly before being lifted into the stratosphere by a large chunk off rock from under the sea as a result of Kazuya's attack, only to continue fighting there. Through this fight, both Jin and his father are purified of their devil afflictions.[20] With their devil powers gone, they continue their fight once more as the ground they fought on returns to the Earth's surface.[21] Jin is able to use all his teachings – from his mother’s Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts to the Mishima Style Fighting Karate he once rejected – as well as his determination to protect those he cares about to defeat Kazuya. Jin leaves Kazuya unconscious as he goes to regroup with his loved ones. Jin believes the world to finally have been freed from the influence of devils and their powers.
Later, Jun appears to find Kazuya’s unconscious form. Later still, it is revealed that Reina understands Heihachi Mishima to be her father. Additionally, her brush with death in the path of Kazuya’s laser has given her the ability to take on a devil form.[22]
There is an alternate ending if the player loses to Kazuya during the final round of this last battle. In this ending, Kazuya throws Jin and off a cliff and proclaims that, even without his devil powers, power rules everything. He decides to finish his global invasion.[23] Taking into account the character arcs and themes of the overall narrative, it is highly likely that this ending is non-canonical.
0
0
0
0
0
0
