Tekken 8's latest character reveal focuses on Kuma, a bear once raised and trained by series antagonist Heihachi Mishima. But there's more to this hairy former bodyguard than meets the eye.
In the blink of an eye, towards the end of the gameplay demo, you'll see Kuma unleash attacks that have special meaning for Tekken fans. Although the uppercuts shown in the video below at 1:29 look like normal fighting game moves, what Kuma is performing is actually the Wind God Fist, a martial art that is ubiquitous in martial arts. Tekken series known only to a select few fighters.
The Wind God Fist (originally “rising uppercut”) debuted in the first Tekken as a move exclusive to Heihachi and his son Kazuya (both normal and Devil Kazuya), practitioners of the in-universe Mishima-style Fighting Karate. (Armour King's move list also included an identical rising uppercut before it was recombined later in the series.) Think of it like the Shoryuken in street fightera move that also defines the franchise he belongs to, but can only be pulled off by a handful of characters.
As the series progressed, more members of the Mishima clan would gain access to the Wind God Fist, as well as a more powerful version of the attack called the Electric Wind God Fist (informally 'EWGF' or 'electricity'), which eventually replaced it of the basic movement as the defining characteristic of the franchise's Mishima-style fighters. In fact, it's so iconic that true Tekken competitors who can string together multiple electrics in one combo are often praised for their high-level execution.
So, back to the street fighter In comparison, Kuma learning the Wind God Fist is like Blanka suddenly being able to do Shoryukens, albeit with a unique history to make the development more meaningful in terms of knowledge.
Kuma is no stranger to Mishima's martial arts thanks to his training as Heihachi's beloved pet and bodyguard. In previous games, the bear incorporated both Heihachi's Demon Uppercut and Stonehead headbutt into his own Kuma Shinken fighting style. Kuma's legacy, combined with Heihachi's strained father-son relationship with Kazuya and the possibility Tekken 8 newcomer Reina orphans another illegitimate Mishima descendants due to her use of an EWGF-like attack in her own trailerhas made many enthusiastic Tekken fans to proclaim that he is Heihachi's true heir after this revelation.
Impressive implications for a few seconds of gameplay, eh?