Please note: This name is Korean; "Baek" is a family name, not a given name; the given name of this character is "Doo San".
Baek Doo San (Hangul: 백두산; Hanja: 白頭山 Baek Du San; Japanese: ペク・トー・サン Peku Tō San; It may be written with given name first as Doo-San Baek) is a character in the Tekken series.
Baek is a Taekwondo champion turned dojang teacher. His first appearance was in Tekken 2, and he returned for Tekken 5, Tekken 6 and the spin-off games Tekken Tag Tournament and Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Biography
Baek was the son of a Taekwondo champion. During Baek's childhood, his father received a career-ending injury and turned to alcohol. His father's heavy drinking eventually led to him being incarcerated. Baek's family were plunged into poverty, and his mother left the family home, leaving Baek and his siblings with no one. Shortly after his mother's departure, Baek's father escaped from prison and returned with the intention of helping his family - however, disoriented due to malnourishment, Baek mistakenly killed him. The experience traumatized Baek. When the police arrived at the scene, they took Baek into their care.
Baek grew up to be a Taekwondo master and champion like his father before him - however, he was contacted one day by someone who knew about the circumstances of his father's death. They threatened to go public with the information unless Baek destroyed their competition.[2] Baek complied and attacked Marshall Law's dojo whilst Law was away. Soon after, Baek attended the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, where Law was also a competitor.[3]
Years later, Baek began training Hwoarang. Some time before the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 took place, Baek was attacked by a 'god of fighting', Ogre, and was presumed dead.[4]
Baek survived the attack, however, and woke up in a military hospital after being in a coma for over a year. When he was fully recovered, Baek served as a martial arts trainer in the military. He was asked one day to contact Hwoarang and ask him to return to military service (Hwoarang had deserted to attend the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4). Baek sent Hwoarang a letter, and the two were reunited for the first time in two and a half years.[5]
Two months later, Baek and Hwoarang attended The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, with Baek believing it would be a good opportunity for Hwoarang to test his skills. During the course of the tournament, an incident occurred during a match between Hwoarang and Jin Kazama, and Baek was informed that Hwoarang had been seriously injured. Hwoarang received critical care and was unconscious for three days. Baek stayed at his student's bedside and was wracked with guilt over the sense that he had not sufficiently prepared Hwoarang for the tournament. When Hwoarang awoke, he begged Baek to train him with greater intensity than ever before; Baek agreed to do so, and put Hwoarang through his most extreme training yet.[6]
Baek would later join Hwoarang in The Resistance, an armed rebel group opposing the Mishima Zaibatsu.[7]
Personality
Baek clearly deeply cared for his father and for his young siblings whom he had to look after. Mistakenly killing his father traumatised him and has filled him with a lasting guilt over the act,[8] one that persists even in his later years.[9] Guilt seems to be a recurring feature of Baek's personality, since he also later experiences profound guilt over Hwoarang's tournament loss and mauling by (Devil) Jin, belieivng himself to have underprepared his pupil.[6] As a consequence of murdering his father, Baek is unable to stomach the sight of blood, and is described as flying into a rage at the sight of it. He seems to have struggled with his temper throughout his younger years, something that was capitalized on when a someone sought to blackmail him into destroying dojos.[3]
Baek later expressed regret over these attacks,[10] and in his later years controls himself with a strict code and discipline. He expects the same of his students, and does not stand for them streetfighting, being tardy, or being disrespectful. Despite this rigid approach he takes, Baek clearly cares deeply for Hwoarang, his top student, and goes out of his way to keep him out of trouble,[11] rescue him from harm, speak on his behalf when incarcerated by the military,[5] stay at his side when injured, train him when he demands to be stronger,[6] and (non-canonically) risk his life for him.[12]
A deeply unhappy, and guilt-ridden side to Baek is presented in the non-canonical Tekken Tag Tournament 2, where Baek privately breaks down over the loss of his father. It is implied that the fatherly role he holds toward Hwoarang goes some way to help relieve him of this grief.[9]
Outfits
- Main article: Baek Doo San/Outfits
Story
Tekken 2
Official Profile
Baek Doo San, a master of Taekwondo and the son of a former Taekwondo champion.
During Baek's childhood, his father received a career-ending injury. Devastated, his father turned to alcohol and became a heavy-drinker, which ultimately led to his incarceration.
Plunged into a life of poverty, the young master's family was forced to deal with hard times, and just when things looked as though they couldn't get any worse, his mother disappeared, leaving him and his siblings alone. Not too long after that, Baek's father escaped from prison to assist the family, but due to the deprivation of proper nourishment, Baek mistakenly killed his father, a man he respected above all else.
The frightening experience left Baek traumatized, driving him crazy every time he saw blood. When the police found him, they took him into their care and raised him.
Years later, he found himself walking the path of his late father, a Taekwondo master and champion, but unfortunately, a person aware of the truth about his father's death threatened to go public with the truth of his past if he didn't destroy his blackmailer's competition.
The attack on the martial arts school took place while the school's instructor was away; a confrontation between Baek Doo San and Marshall Law is inevitable.[3]
Ending Description
Baek sits on a bench outside a park. He takes out a locket containing a photo of him and his father. Baek reminisces about his training sessions with his father, remembering the great person he was and how much he loved him. Remembering his father for the man he was, Baek smiles, finding peace within himself.
Tekken 3
During the events of Tekken 3, Baek was presumed dead owing to an encounter with Ogre. One of his closest students, Hwoarang, entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 to exact revenge for his master's death and to also have a rematch with Jin Kazama.[13]
Tekken 5
Official Strategy Guide
Baek, Tae Kwon Do master and Hwoarang's mentor, was on his way home from teaching out in the country when he was attacked and lost consciousness.
Baek later awoke in a military hospital. An official from the Defense Department explained that Baek had been in a coma for over a year. The official persuaded Baek to become a Tae Kwon Do instructor for the military once he recovered.
A year later, Baek was teaching Tae Kwon Do at a military base when the brass convinced him to contact Hwoarang and ask him to return. The two met again for the first time in two and a half years.
Two months later, Baek asked Hwoarang to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 in order to test his skills in Tae Kwon Do.[14]
Prologue
Baek Doo San. A master of Tae Kwon Do. On his way home from training, Baek was attacked and knocked unconscious.
He woke up in a military hospital. According to the defense minister, he had been in a coma for over a year. The minister asked Baek to help train soldiers, and Baek hesitantly accepted.
A year later, Baek writes to Hwoarang, asking him to return to the military.
Hwoarang goes to his mentor. Now the two enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 as master and pupil.[5]
Ending Description
Hwoarang squares up to fight three thugs in the street. He goes to throw the first punch, but Baek calls sharply for him to stop. Hwoarang stands to attention at once as Baek says, "Still up to no good." Hwoarang looks over his shoulder and sees Baek standing close by. Whilst Hwoarang is distracted, one of the thugs knocks Hwoarang to the ground with a kick. The three thugs then step up to confront Baek, asking who he is and telling him to get out of there. Hwoarang looks up from the ground in dismay as his master is surrounded and calls, "Stop, you bastard!" Baek shakes his head disapprovingly and tuts, then defeats all three thugs off screen with ease, piling them up unconscious on the floor. Hwoarang looks at the defeated thugs and shakes his head, before being grabbed by the collar and dragged off down the street by Baek. The ending has a number of nods to Westerns in it, with focus at the start on Hwoarang's spurred boots, Baek being introduced with a close-up from under the brim of his hat, and Western-inspired music playing throughout.
Tekken 6
Official Strategy Guide
Baek joined The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 along with his apprentice, Hwoarang. After he learned that his student had been critically injured by his rival--Jin Kazama--Baek withdrew from the Tournament and hurried to the hospital. Emergency measures were taken and Hwoarang's life was saved, but he was unconscious. Baek was wrought with guilt that he had failed to prepare Hwoarang for his encounter with Jin. Hwoarang woke up three days later, and when he learned about the events that had passed, he forced himself out of bed and proceeded to beg his mentor to train him and make him stronger. He implored his master with such humility that Baek, sensing the intensity of Hwoarang's will, dedicated himself fully to developing his pupil's abilities.
After they returned to Korea, Baek engaged Hwoarang in the most extreme training regimen he had ever designed. The Mishima Zaibatsu announced The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 as Baek trained both himself and Hwoarang for the ensuing battle.[15]
Prologue
Baek withdrew from the tournament and hurried to the hospital after he learning that Hwoarang had been critically injured after losing to his rival, Jin Kazama. Emergency measures had saved Hwoarang's life, but he had not yet awakened. Baek was wrought with guilt that he had failed to prepare Hwoarang for his encounter with Jin.
Hwoarang woke up three days later. After learning of the events that had passed, Hwoarang forced himself up and begged his master with more humility than he had ever shown before to make him stronger. Baek, sensing the intensity of Hwoarang's will, decided to teach everything he knew to his pupil.
After returning to Korea, Baek engaged Hwoarang in the most extreme training he had ever prepared.
The Mishima Zaibatsu announces the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, and Baek prepares himself for his ultimate battle.[6]
Scenario Campaign
Baek assumes a leadership role alongside Hwoarang in The Resistance, a civilian militia that has banded together to fight the Mishima Zaibatsu. The Resistance suffers a defeat at the hands of an amnesiac Lars Alexandersson, who attacks and defeats Baek and other Resistance members.
Ending Description
Baek has defeated Azazel, but drops to one knee in the wake of his victory, exhausted by the harsh fight. Hwoarang enters the chamber and asks his master if he is alright. Baek gets to his feet and smiles at Hwoarang, but Azazel rises too, and leaps into the air, targeting Hwoarang with an attack. Before Azazel can reach Hwoarang, Baek swiftly positions himself in front of his student and finishes his foe off with a final front-kick. The orb in Azazel's chest breaks, and the creature explodes into a swarm of scattering locusts. Baek collapses to the floor, where he smiles to see that his action has saved Hwoarang, and dies. Distraught, Hwoarang falls to his knees beside Baek's body, calling for his master.
Other Appearances
Tekken: The Motion Picture
Baek made a minor appearance in Tekken: The Motion Picture. He is shown fighting and being defeated by Kazuya Mishima.
Tekken Tag Tournament
Baek appeared as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament.
Ending Description
Hwoarang is in a kneeling position before Baek, who chastises him.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Baek returned as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Profile
A taekwondo master who instructs the military in the art. He has great compassion for his pupil, Hwoarang. Everyday he trains intensely with Hwoarang, who has at last recovered after sustaining injuries in the tournament.[16]
Ending Description
Baek is seen kneeling in his dojang as he recalls memories of his childhood with his father. He becomes deeply upset and hits the floor with both fists as his memories shift to the incident wherein he killed his father. Hwoarang enters the dojang, late for his class. From the doorway, he sees his master folded over in distress. Concerned, Hwoarang chooses to both alert Baek to his presence and distract him from his sorrow by shouting that he has overslept and speculating about how mad his master will be with him. Baek hears him, gradually composes himself, and smiles. He calls Hwoarang's name sharply, at which point Hwoarang stands to attention despite still being out of sight. Baek rises to his feet in front of a panel reading 'Indomitable Spirit' and calls for Hwoarang to do a thousand push ups as punishment for him sleeping in.
Tekken: Bloodline
Baek has a cameo appearance in Tekken: Bloodline. He appears on a screen Heihachi Mishima is looking at, and is referred to as one of the fighters from the second King of Iron Fist Tournament that disappeared during Ogre's attack spree. His relationship with Hwoarang is never explicitly mentioned.
Gameplay
Despite generally being clunkier and far less aggressive than Hwoarang, Baek is still considered to be an agile and fast-paced character.
Baek’s moveset is much more balanced than Hwoarang’s, offering kicks which are somewhat less efficient but still devastating, decent punching capabilities, and a few good counters as well. Baek is best-suited to a balanced style that relies on the long reach and raw power of his kicks mixed with a few quick punches here and there to keep up the pressure.
Despite having good offensive capabilities, pure aggression can be a risky approach against faster characters due to his somewhat sluggish recovery between attacks. Also, his average defense pales in comparison with the likes of Kazuya, King, and Steve, among others.
In a nutshell, Baek is a strategic character who still retains beginner-friendly qualities.
Fighting Style
As a Taekwondo master, Baek can launch barrages of kicks which, compounded with his speed, can keep an opponent guessing at what will come next. On a more technical level, Baek uses the more traditional variant of Taekwondo that could possibly be Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo, which is more stable and impactful as opposed to Hwoarang's more aggressive and agile style.
Their differences in style are more evident in their moves: Baek's attacks can outpace his student's, but he lacks Hwoarang's level of damage. Baek is also more defensive than Hwoarang, having more tools to pull him out of situations and to punish an opponent from behind.
Moves
- Baek Doo San/Tekken 2 Movelist
- Baek Doo San/Tekken Tag Tournament Movelist
- Baek Doo San/Tekken 5 Movelist
- Baek Doo San/Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Movelist
- Baek Doo San/Tekken 6 Movelist
- Baek Doo San/Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Movelist
Quotes
Character Relationships
- Hwoarang - His student, and ally in The Resistance in Tekken 6. While Hwoarang's unruly nature sometimes causes Baek grief, he is still shown to deeply care about his pupil.
- Marshall Law - Baek attacked Marshall's dojo before the events of Tekken 2, and is his sub-boss in Tekken 2. Marshall is one of Baek's sub-bosses in Tekken 5.
- Mr. Baek - His father and mentor, whom he accidentally killed during a sparring session.
- Ogre - He was put into a coma for over a year by Ogre, before the events of Tekken 3.
- Kazuya Mishima - Baek was defeated by him in Tekken: The Motion Picture (non-canon) and is his sub-boss in Tekken Tag Tournament.
- Wang Jinrei - His possible sub-boss in the arcade version of Tekken 2 (if he is in place of Jun Kazama).
- Jin Kazama - Baek has a grudge against Jin for severely injuring Hwoarang in the fifth tournament (which he actually did while under the influence of the Devil Gene). Also the main enemy of the Resistance in Tekken 6.
- Miguel Caballero Rojo - His ally in the Resistance in the Scenario Campaign of Tekken 6.
Trivia
General:
- Baek's name is written in the Hangul alphabet as "백두산", and in Hanja as "白頭山". In both cases, it means "White head(ed) mountain".
- The name "Baek-Du San" is that of a mountain that is split in two by the North Korean-Chinese border. It is treated almost like a national monument by the South Koreans.
- His given name, "Doo-San", is patterned after one of the ITF's 24 patterns, "Do-San", consisting of 24 movements.
- Baek is a 6th dan black belt, as evidenced by the six tags on his belt.
- Baek was attacked by Ogre between Tekken 2 and Tekken 3.
- The uniform that Baek wears is called a dobok. Meaning "way of life training clothes" in Korean, the dobok is the uniform for Taekwondo, modeled after the Japanese gi for the basic look and the v-neck for the hanbok.
- Ever since Hwoarang's introduction, all of Baek's subsequent endings have featured Hwoarang.
- In Tekken 7, one of Hwoarang's customizable items is Baek's TK5 & TK6 2P suit.[17] He can also be given the generic beige fedora and a gray beard to make him resemble Baek even more.
- Baek is Marshall Law's sub-boss if not placed as a default character. Once unlocked, Marshall Law is his sub-boss.
- Baek's connection to Marshall is that he attacked Law's dojo, under duress of blackmail.
- Owners of Tekken 2 arcade machines are given the option to set either Jun Kazama or Baek as one of the ten default characters displayed on the selection screen (in the PlayStation version, it is Jun who is placed on this spot). This is accessible via the operator menu.
- If placed as a default character in the arcade machine of Tekken 2, Baek's sub-boss is Wang Jinrei, and he will be Wang's sub-boss if Wang is unlocked.
- When Baek Doo San wins a fight, his name is mispronounced. Instead of "Baek Doo San", "Peku Tō San" is said.
- Baek's pre-release name was originally Peku, which is the phonetic translation of the same name.
- Whilst not in Tekken 3, Baek is mentioned significantly in his pupil's back story, as his disappearance is one of Hwoarang's main motivations for attending the King of Iron Fist Tournament.
- His Stage 7 sub-boss is Kazuya Mishima. If Kazuya is not available, then it is Forest Law. If neither are available, then it is Hwoarang.
- Baek has two special tag throws with Hwoarang.
- If Baek is the leader, he will send the opponent to Hwoarang through Human Cannonball, while Hwoarang will end with his Dead-End.
- If Hwoarang is the leader, he will send the opponent to Baek through Human Cannonball, before Baek finishes the opponent with Hwoarang's Bring It On.
- There is a glitch for Baek's tag throw with Hwoarang, where, if the first part of his tag throw is enough to deplete the opponent's health bar, Hwoarang will never actually appear, but Dead-End will still be performed on the opponent as if Hwoarang had arrived.
- In the beta version of Tekken Tag Tournament, Baek had an unknown follow-up to his Right Punch Back Fist, and also used the same hit effect as Hwoarang.[18]
Tekken 5 and Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection:
- Baek's sub-bosses are Marshall Law and Hwoarang. He's also Hwoarang's stage 4 sub-boss.
- While playing as Baek, he meets Marshall Law in the story mode. However, neither of them reminisce about the events in Tekken 2, as if they have not yet met each other. After Baek defeats Marshall, Baek says, "I hold instructional sessions on Sundays at my dojo. Why don't you join in on one of my sessions?".
- He is unlocked by beating story mode 3 times with a different character.
Tekken 6 and Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion:
- In the Scenario Campaign of Tekken 6, Baek is a boss at the West Coast Canal Industrial Complex and is in an alliance with Hwoarang and Miguel in The Resistance.
- If you use Baek in Law's Stage in Scenario Campaign, Law will mention their meeting during the events of Tekken 2 before the boss battle begins.
- Baek's Arena Mode opponents are Marshall Law and Hwoarang.
- Baek has two item moves.
- With the Beret, Baek will pull out a stick of Dynamite to throw at the opponent
- With the Formal Vest, Baek will drink a cup of coffee, which will restore a bit of health.
- Baek appears in the last part of Wang Jinrei's ending alongside Ganryu.
- In the Ghost Battle mode, Baek's possible partners are Miguel, Law, Christie Monteiro, Roger Jr., and Hwoarang.
- Baek has a special tag throw with Hwoarang where the leader will send the opponent to the partner with "Human Cannonball". The partner will then catch the opponent with Baek's Hunting Serpent, but the leader will arrive to help deliver the final kick to the back of the opponent's head.
- Baek's item move will cause him to summon an eagle to strike the opponent.
- This is likely an allusion to his Tekken 2 nickname 'Killing Hawk'.
Other:
- While he doesn't appear and is never seen in the game, Baek is mentioned a few times in Hwoarang and Steve Fox's story in Street Fighter X Tekken.
Gallery
- Main article: Baek Doo San/Gallery
References
- ^ Katsuhiro Harada @Harada_TEKKEN, Twitter, 4:21 PM Jun 13, 2024. Note that information is not stated in-game and only comes from a database of information provided by series developer Katsuhiro Harada.
- ^ An alternate account of who hired Baek can be found in Marshall Law's Tekken 2 PAL Manual Profile (p.5); in the manual, Baek is described as an agent of the Mishima Zaibatsu, who are looking to acquire Law's business premises.
- ^ a b c Namco Tekken 2 Character Profiles
- ^ Tekken 3 Manual, p20.
- ^ a b c Baek's Tekken 5 Prologue (English)
- ^ a b c d Baek's Tekken 6 Prologue (English)
- ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues
- ^ Baek agrees to the blackmail terms in order to try and keep the manslaughter from coming to light; see Tekken 2 profile.
- ^ a b E.g. Baek's Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ending.
- ^ Baek Doo San/Scenario Campaign Dialogues#Marshall Law
- ^ Baek's Tekken 5 ending.
- ^ Baek's Tekken 6 Ending.
- ^ Tekken 3 manual, p30.
- ^ Tekken 5 Official Strategy Guide, 2004, p26.
- ^ Tekken 6 Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2009), p.64; transcribed on Tekken Zaibatsu.
- ^ Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U profile.
- ^ http://www.tekken-official.jp/tk7ac/2015sp/item.php
- ^ https://youtu.be/aAKEj-_HM4s?t=203