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King (Tekken)

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King
Tekken character
King (left) in Tekken (1994) and King II (right) in Tekken 3 (1997)
First appearance
King I
King II
Created bySeiichi Ishii (King I)
Katsuhiro Harada (King II)
Voiced byMasayuki Hirai (Tekken: Bloodline) (King II, Japanese)[1]
Leandro Cano (Tekken: Bloodline) (King II, English)[2]
Motion captureMinoru Suzuki[3][4]
Osami Shibuya[4]
In-universe information
Fighting styleProfessional wrestling
OriginMexico
NationalityMexican

King (Japanese: キング, Hepburn: Kingu) is a title used by two characters in the Tekken fighting game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The characters were inspired by Japanese pro wrestler Satoru Sayama,[5] as well as Mexican wrestler Fray Tormenta,[6] a Catholic priest who became a luchador in order to support an orphanage. The character, King, has been present in all the main Tekken installments to date, with King I present in Tekken and Tekken 2, and King II debuting in Tekken 3 and returning for the following main games since.

Characteristics

[edit]
Tekken 4 featured King with more detailed body features, such as longer hair, a darker skin tone, and a more exposed body

King is widely recognized for the jaguar mask that hides his true identity. Throughout his appearances in the virtual realm, the face beneath his jaguar mask remains a mystery, shrouded in secrecy. Interestingly, the physical portrayal of King's movements was done by the Japanese professional wrestler Minoru Suzuki, who lent his expertise to the character's motion capture sessions.[7] King is a Mexican luchador and series' one of two luchadores overall (the other being Armor King).[8] Fray Tormenta, a Mexican Catholic priest, served as an initial influence on King's character and backstory.[7] King is seen to be mostly growling throughout the Tekken series; however, according to Japanese video game director Katsuhiro Harada, King is capable of speaking Spanish, but he prefers not to.[9] Harada also revealed that King is the most popular Tekken character in Japan over the complete span of the Tekken series.[10]

King is known for his professional wrestling attacks and has an arsenal of huge amounts of moves on his command list. King holds the record for having the most moves in the Tekken series, notably in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tekken 7.[11][12] King has been able to perform the Sharpshooter since Tekken 2. Other moves he uses include the "Frankensteiner", while his "Muscle Buster" pays homage to Suguru Kinniku's "Kinniku Buster."[6] In Tekken 3, the King moveset got even more detailed with more chain throws, and King received additional new wrestling moves such as Rolling Death Cradle, Winding Nut, Stretch Buster, and many others.[13] Benjamin Turner from GameSpy described King's chain throws in Tekken 5 as "ridiculously intricate".[14] In Tekken 8, King gained some additional moves inspired by famous pro-wrestlers, such as Triple H's Pedigree and Randy Orton's RKO.[15]

Appearances

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In Tekken

[edit]

Tekken—Tekken 2

[edit]

King I

The first King was used to being a brawling orphan. He was later adopted by a respectful family. He then became a masked wrestler, entered the tournament, and with the intention of preventing them from turning into the type of person he once was, he thought of building an orphanage.[16] In King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, King I encounters fellow wrestler Armor King, who convinced him to return to wrestling once again and to continue participating in tournaments to help the orphanage.[17] King I was later killed by Ogre.[18]

Tekken 3—Tekken 8

[edit]

King II

The second King was a street urchin who was brought up in the first King's orphanage. Until the age of 24, this wrestler worked hard with King until one day, news broke of the first King's death at the hands of Ogre.[19] Seeing that the orphanage would crumble into ruin, this man donned the mask of King and imitated his style.[20] However, since his technique was learned just from watching King, not training with him, he lost every competition he entered.[20] One day, however, a stranger with a black jaguar mask visited the new King, introducing himself as an old friend. This man revealed himself to be Armor King, who was interested in finding out if the rumors of a new King were true. For four years, the two of them trained, and the new King learned quickly, maturing into a forceful wrestler with extreme power, known as King II.[21] By this time, the now 28-year-old wrestler was a worthy heir to the throne, however, he longed to punish the one responsible for the original King's death.[22]

After the third King of Iron Fist Tournament, King II discovered that his master, Armor King, had been killed in a bar fight. The murderer, Craig Marduk, had been arrested in Arizona and was sent to prison.[23] After being released from prison, Marduk challenged King II to a tournament in Tekken 4. King II won. King II then followed him to the hospital to finish him, but decided to spare Marduk after feeling cruel for killing him because of his desire for revenge.[24] However, King II discovered that Marduk in a black jaguar mask, resembling the original Armor King, had challenged King II on television.[25] King II accepted the challenge and defeated Marduk, leading to their friendship. Later, Marduk revealed that he was attacked by the man he was convicted of killing, Armor King. Determined to uncover the truth, King II and Marduk entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6.[26] They discovered that the other Armor King was the younger brother of the original.[27]

King II returns as a playable character in Tekken 7, with an alternate costume based on New Japan Pro-Wrestling wrestler "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada being available for him in 2017.[28] King II enters the tournament to pay for the hospital bills of Marduk and Armor King II and to reconcile with them and his old orphanage.[29] The next tournament's host Kazuya Mishima reveals himself as a devil and announces the King of Iron Fist tournament 8. King II joins Jin Kazama's[a] side after learning about Kazuya's evil plans. Later, King and other fighters help restore Manhattan while celebrating freedom from G Corporation's tyranny.[30] In his Tekken 8 ending, King II battles a British boxer named Steve Fox in the quarterfinals.[31]

Other games

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King appears in the non-canon Tekken games such as Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken Card Challenge,[32] Tekken Advance,[33] Tekken Resolute,[34] Tekken Tag Tournament 2,[35] Tekken 3D: Prime Edition,[36] Tekken Arena and Tekken Revolution.[37] King appears as a playable character in crossover fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken.[38] King also made an appearance in the Namco crossover Namco × Capcom with Felicia from the Darkstalkers series as his fighting partner.[39] King appears as a Spirit in the Nintendo crossover video game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[40] King appears as a playable character in Fist of the North Star Legends ReVIVE.[41] Namco High, a browser-based dating game, features King in the role of a detention officer.[42]

In other media

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Animations

[edit]

King I makes a cameo appearance in Tekken: The Motion Picture as one of the tournament competitors. He has no spoken lines, and it is unknown how he progresses through the tournament. He is last seen being carried by Armor King I off the exploding Mishima resort.[43] King II's images are briefly seen in the CGI film Tekken: Blood Vengeance when an Irish woman, Anna Williams, opens a file containing images of various persons of interest.[44]

King II appears in the anime Tekken: Bloodline as a competitor in the King of Iron Fist Tournament. He was an orphan under the original King before his death by Ogre. King II is seen as intimidating due to his animalistic nature. However, his noble side is shown when he visits a Chinese girl, Ling Xiaoyu, in the hospital after their match. Rumors about King II are cleared up when the tournament's participant, Julia Chang, reveals his good nature to the tournament's winner Jin Kazama. Despite his defeat by Jin in the finals, Jin gifts the prize money to King II.[45]

Merchandise

[edit]

Epoch Co. released a 1/10 scale King action figure, based on his appearance in Tekken 3. The figure comes with a removable champion belt.[46] Epoch Co. also released a 12-inch King action figure based on his Tekken 4 appearance.[47] In 2017, King was one of the five Tekken characters to receive a Funko Pop.[48] King's Player 2 t-shirts and pants were part of the initial wave of Esther Ng's PRIX line of Tekken 3-inspired merchandise. The date of availability of these items was January 18, 2023.[49]

Storm Collectibles, a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of action figures, released a 1/12 scale King action figure based on his Tekken 7 iteration with interchangeable wrestling capes and pairs of hands.[50] A 17 centimeters King action figure was produced by Game Dimensions with a few additional items, such as a stand to carry a "FIGHT" sign, an extra pair of hands, and a white energy buildup.[51] In 2023, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America revealed two action figures, King and Jin Kazama, each in their Tekken 8 outfit, available later in 2024.[52]

Critical reception

[edit]
King was given the "Rainmaker" outfit in Tekken 7 that is inspired by Japanese professional wrestler Kazuchika Okada in order to promote the collaboration with New Japan Pro Wrestling.[28]

King is one of the most popular Tekken characters, receiving praise by critics. King was recognized by IGN, with author Bill Barnwell noting the realism of his mask.[6] Henry Gilbert of GamesRadar+ stated about King that "King is notable because he gives the developers an excuse to animate almost every single wrestling move known to man. Watch as King smoothly transitions through accurate recreations of power bombs, surfboards, spinning toe holds, and muscle busters with ease, all leading up to the ultimate move, the Rolling Death Cradle. King is like a walking Wikipedia of moves, all lovingly recreated by developers who clearly care about wrasslin' as much as any fan."[53]

King holds the Guinness World Records title for the "Most moves for a Tekken character" as of the 2011 video game Tekken Tag Tournament 2, with King having 176 amounts of different moves.[54] Although this record was again broken by King himself, with him having 186 different moves in Tekken 7.[12] Tizoc, a character from The King of Fighters, takes inspiration from King and shares similarities with his appearance. Tizoc wears an eagle mask as opposed to King's jaguar mask, which is a clear distinction between the two.[55] In the study titled "Digital Mexican: Visual Representation In Video Games," author Angel Martin Palomares asked participants to discuss how King and King II represent their cultures. Most of the participants rated King as a medium representation; some participants were surprised that King was a part of their culture, while one of the participants stated, "King, being an animal, did not reflect their cultural background."[56] However, in the case of King II, he received overall positive comments from participants. The majority of the participants rated him as a positive representation.[57]

In his examination of Digital Narratives and Linguistic Articulations of Mexican Identities in Emergent Media: Race, Lucha Libre Masks and Mock Spanish, author Daniel Calleros Villarreal discussed the manner in which King and Armor King are being portrayed. He noticed a notable absence of verbal communication and the faceless presentation of these characters in the game. Through his analysis, Villarreal pointed out that the depictions of Mexican subjects in Tekken appear dehumanized due to the absence of speech and the strange facial expressions. Villarreal drew attention to the use of realistic feline wrestling masks as a symbol of the characters' inability to communicate verbally, comparing this depiction to similar sub-human anthropomorphic figures.[58]

Further reading

[edit]
  • Denzer, TJ (February 29, 2024). "ShackStream: Tekken it to the Lab Episode 3: King". Shacknews. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  • Friend, Devin (January 7, 2024). "Tekken 8: Why You Should Consider Maining King". Game Rant. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  • Jack Yarwood (June 21, 2024). "Tekken 3 Co-Director Shares The Story Behind King's Iconic Player 2 Design". Time Extension. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  • Angel Martin Palomares (2023). Digital Mexican: Visual Representation in Video Games. Drexel University. p. 45—50. Retrieved June 20, 2024.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Masayuki Hirai (visual voices guide) - Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  2. ^ Joseph "Jagwar" Asuncion (November 3, 2023). "Full list of English and Japanese voice actors in Tekken Bloodline anime". ONE Esports. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  3. ^ @Harada_TEKKEN (November 9, 2023). "During the development of TEKKEN3 (Arcade release was in 1997, but development took less than two years, 1996-1997), we tried many animation captures, and..." (Tweet). Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b "Tekken 3 team interview". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  5. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (September 29, 2011). "In Japan, Wrestling Masks Aren't Just for Half-Naked Dudes in Boots". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Barnwell, Bill (September 14, 2011). "The Ten Best Fake Wrestlers In Videogame History - Sports News at IGN". Sports.ign.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  7. ^ a b Good, Owen (August 7, 2023). "Tekken boss confirms iconic fighter King's strange origin". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Phillip Penix-Tadsen (2019). Video Games and the Global South. Lulu.com. pp. 105–106. ISBN 9780359641390.
  9. ^ @Harada_TEKKEN (June 1, 2012). "He can speak Spanish but he don't..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ @Harada_TEKKEN (April 27, 2021). "in Japan? King (on average in the series)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2016. Guinness World Records. 2015. p. 161. ISBN 9781910561102.
  12. ^ a b "Most moves for a Tekken character". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "Computer and Video Games - Issue 188 (1997-07 )(EMAP Images) (GB)". July 1997. Retrieved May 21, 2014 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ^ "GameSpy: Tekken 5 - Page 1". Ps2.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  15. ^ Tu, Trumann (April 1, 2023). "Tekken 8 Character Uses Iconic WWE Wrestler Finisher". Game Rant. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  16. ^ "Tekken (1994) King profile". Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2024 – via Internet Archive.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ "Tekken 2 King Profile". Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2024 – via Internet Archive.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ Henry Gilbert (October 23, 2012). "Street Fighter X Tekken roster: Meet all 55 characters". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  19. ^ Tekken 3 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide - 1998). p. 80. Retrieved June 15, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  20. ^ a b "Tekken 3 Special Update". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 92. Ziff Davis. March 1997. p. 81.
  21. ^ Hurwitch, Nick (2019). The Art of Tekken: A Complete Visual History. Dynamite Entertainment. p. 152. ISBN 978-1524107734.
  22. ^ "Tekken 3 King Profile". Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2024 – via Internet Archive.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ Hurwitch, Nick (2019). The Art of Tekken: A Complete Visual History. Dynamite Entertainment. p. 167. ISBN 978-1524107734.
  24. ^ Tekken 5 NTSC-U/C Manual. p. 36—37. Retrieved June 15, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ^ Namco. Tekken 5. Namco. Level/area: King II: Prologue. King. A wrestler with the spirit of two champions. After beating Craig Marduk, he followed Marduk to the hospital to kill him. then he realized revenge was not the answer. Later, King heard Marduk challenged him to a rematch wearing the black jaguar's mask. "I won't let him disgrace my master!" says King. They will settle their score in The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.
  26. ^ "Tekken 6 - Characters - King". Tekken.namco.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  27. ^ Namco Bandai Games (October 27, 2009). Tekken 6. Namco Bandai Games. Level/area: Marduk ending / Armor King II ending.
  28. ^ a b Sherman, Jennifer (January 3, 2017). "Tekken 7: FR's New Japan Pro-Wrestling Crossover Shown in Video". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  29. ^ Bandai Namco Studios (June 2, 2017). Tekken 7. Bandai Namco Entertainment. King is not only a masked professional wrestler, but also the proud owner of an orphanage. Recently, King's sworn friend and comrade, Craig Marduk, as well as the man King called his master, both engaged in a bloody fight which left them with critical injuries. King desperately wanted to come to his friends' rescue, but knew that their operations wouldn't come cheap. At the same time, King's orphanage was in constant danger owing to the war that raged between G Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu. Finding himself caught between a rock and a hard place, King entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament with his eyes set firmly on the cash prize.
  30. ^ Bandai Namco Studios (January 26, 2024). Tekken 8. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Chapter 10: All-Out Assault.
  31. ^ Bandai Namco Studios (January 26, 2024). Tekken 8. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Steve Fox: What, did you come to rub it in? Or do you still want to fight? / King II: (That's the spirit!) (Come at me again with all you've got.)
  32. ^ "Tekken Card Challenge for WonderSwan". IGN. July 15, 2000. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  33. ^ Kasavin, Greg (May 16, 2007). "Tekken Advance Preview". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  34. ^ "Tekken Resolute". Kotaku. G/O Media. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  35. ^ "Tekken Tag Tournament 2 King Profile". Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Internet Archive.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  36. ^ Edwards, Matt (February 17, 2012). "Tekken 3D: Prime Edition Review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  37. ^ "Tekken Revolution Gameplay Off Screen (King vs. Lars & Leo) - TGS 2013". IGN. September 19, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  38. ^ Kenneth Richardson (June 29, 2012). "Hugo and King to Body Slam Street Fighter X Tekken Mobile". DualShockers. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  39. ^ "Felicia and King artwork". RPGamer. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  40. ^ Sinha, Ravi (June 30, 2021). "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Tekken's Kazuya is Now Available, New Spirits Added". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  41. ^ "『北斗リバイブ』×『鉄拳7』コラボが5月31日開幕！ 一八、平八、シャオユウ、キングが参戦" ["'Hokuto Revive' x 'Tekken 7' collaboration begins on May 31st! Kazuya, Heihachi, Xiaoyu, and King join the fray"]. dengekionline.com (in Japanese). KADOKAWA Game Linkage Inc. May 31, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  42. ^ Khaw, Cassandra (January 13, 2014). "Impressions: Namco High". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  43. ^ Tekken: The Motion Picture. ASCII Corporation
    Sony Music Entertainment Japan. 1998 [1998].    {{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ^ Tekken: Blood Vengeance. Asmik Ace
    Namco Pictures. 2011 [2011].    {{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  45. ^ Tekken: Bloodline. Studio Hibari
    Larx Entertainment. 2022 [2022].    {{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  46. ^ "Tekken 3 - King - Action figures Tekken 3 (#9) - 1/10 (Epoch)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  47. ^ Epoch. "Tekken 4 Series 1 12" Figure King: Toys & Games". Amazon. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  48. ^ Pereira, Chris (January 23, 2017). "Tekken's Own Line of Funko Pop Figures Arrives This Year". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  49. ^ Lada, Jenni (January 18, 2023). "Tekken 3 King Player 2 Shirt and Pants Coming to PRIX". Siliconera. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  50. ^ "Storm Collectibles - Tekken 7 - King, 1/12 Action Figure, Brown". Amazon. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  51. ^ "BANDAI Game Dimensions Tekken King Action Figure". Amazon. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  52. ^ Hartsock, Bug (September 5, 2023). "Get Ready for Second Wave of 'TEKKEN' GameDimensions Figures". The Pop Insider. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  53. ^ Gilbert, Henry (November 3, 2014). "Top 7… awesome wrestlers who could only exist in games". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  54. ^ Guinness World Records 2017 Gamer's Edition. Guinness World Records. August 30, 2016. p. 77. ISBN 9781910561416.
  55. ^ Daniel Calleros Villarreal (2015). Digital Narratives and Linguistic Articulations of Mexican Identities in Emergent Media: Race, Lucha Libre Masks and Mock Spanish. The University of Arizona. p. 73—74 – via Internet Archive.
  56. ^ Angel Martin Palomares (2023). Digital Mexican: Visual Representation in Video Games. Drexel University. p. 46—47. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  57. ^ Angel Martin Palomares (2023). Digital Mexican: Visual Representation in Video Games. Drexel University. p. 49. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  58. ^ Daniel Calleros Villarreal (2015). Digital Narratives and Linguistic Articulations of Mexican Identities in Emergent Media: Race, Lucha Libre Masks and Mock Spanish. The University of Arizona. p. 71 – via Internet Archive.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Jin Kazama is Kazuya's son and one of the main characters of Tekken 8
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