Tekken 8 Reveals Kuma In Electric Fashion

The true heir to the Mishima family is here.

By Huzaifa Khan December 28, 2023

Story Highlights

Tekken 8 is a next-gen fighting game for modern-day platforms, coming 8 years after its prequel.
The developers have recently showcased another returning in-game character, Kuma.
Since Heihachi won’t be returning to Tekken 8, Kuma is going to carry his name with signature moves and his outfit.

The adorable grizzly and son to the great Heihachi Mishima has been revealed in-depth as of late. Kuma looks like he’s going to carry the name of Heihachi going ahead with his outfit and signature attack moves, provided that the former head of the Mishima Zaibatsu suffered a terrible fate in the previous game. It was hard to see it, even with my own eyes, but Kuma is out there with the Wind God Fist now. Shocker.

For those not in the know, Kuma is replicating Heihachi’s famous karate gi outfit, paying tribute to his former master, and father. The white wraps surrounding his wrists are also part of Hehachi’s default attire, so this is certainly a call-back to the iconic Tekken character, who is now no longer part of the latest game’s roster.

And in case you missed it, the events of Tekken 7’s Story Mode’s epilogue has Heihachi going up against his illegitimate son Kazuya Mishima, where the two exchange heavy blows with each other. Near the end, Kazuya deliver the final coup de grace, putting Heihachi to rest once and for all after decades of non-stop rivalry. Once this happens, Kazuya is seen throwing his father’s body into a river of lava.

So, that’s it for that guy. Tekken director and studio frontman Katushiro Harada also made it official that Heihachi Mishima is “completely dead,” signaling bad news for those who practiced him as their primary character. I’m not sure if Heihachi is bound to make a surprise return to the franchise in Tekken 8 or the next game, but one thing’s clear for now—his legacy lives on through Kuma.

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You should try out the Tekken 8 demo on the platform of your preference now that it’s finally out if you’re looking to check the game out prior to the purchase. Spoiler alert: It’s a significant upgrade over its predecessor in many ways, with the visual aspect being one of them as well. The demo is available to play on all three major systems—PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Tekken 8 will be released on January 24, 2024, for said platforms, following its initial announcement in September 2022 during PlayStation’s State of Play. All the characters of the game’s base roster have been revealed, with the developers now highlighting those who didn’t get specific reveals with separate trailers.

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