Fahkumram (Thai: ฟ้าคำราม; Japanese: ファーカムラム Fākamuramu) is a new character in the Tekken series. He was announced at the Tekken World Tour 2019 as the fifth DLC of Season Pass 3.[6] He was added to Tekken 7: Fated Retribution as of March 25, 2020, along with his accompanying home stage, Cave of Enlightenment. Fahkumram is a formidable Muay Thai fighter who is fighting under duress for the Thai military. He hopes to regain freedom for his family and himself.
Biography[]
Appearance[]
Fahkumram is a tall, intimidating man who possesses numerous tattoos and an incredibly broad muscular appearance. His overall attire is that of a typical Muay Thai fighter, with bands wrapped over his arms and shins and sporting Muay Thai trunks. He also possesses traditional Muay Thai 'Pra Jiad' armbands on both arms. He has a Thai Garuda tattoo on his chest, along with a Lichtenberg Figure scar caused by a lightning strike. He has four raking claw marks on his face that he received in a showcase match against a tiger.[7]
Personality[]
Fahkumram is a brutal Muay Thai fighter who is largely stoic and does not seem to enjoy talking much. In spite of his intimidating appearance, he appears to possess a humble demeanor, with one of his intros asking his opponent what they are fighting for. Fahkumram possesses a sense of honor and justice, initially refusing to engage in match-fixing. He is motivated to fight for his captors by the threat to his family's life, indicating his love for them and his willingness to do anything for them.
Outfits[]
- Main article: Fahkumram/Outfits
Story[]
Tekken 7[]
TEKKEN 7 - Fahkumram DLC TWT Trailer - PS4, X1, PC
Official Website Profile (English)
Struck by lightning at the age of 12, Fahkumram became a Muay Thai champion by the time he was 18.
Married and father of a daughter, his life took a dramatic turn for the worse.
Ambushed and kept prisoner by the military, his family was taken hostage, leaving no choice to Fahkumram but to comply with his captors' orders and fight in underground battle rings.
Unable to see a way out, the once proud champion gradually lost himself in more extreme acts of violence and rage.
He competes in the King of Iron Fist Tournament as his last hope to gain freedom for both him and his family.[8]
Official Website Profile (Japanese)
Once lauded as his country’s greatest hero, Fahkumram was a legendary Muay Thai fighter, unparalleled in his field. Showing remarkable talent for the martial art from an early age, he was marked as a future champion until suffering the terrible misfortune of being struck by lightning at the tender age of 12. After spending days on the brink of death, he managed to make a miraculous recovery, eventually developing a mighty physique and growing to over two meters tall. Combining his tremendous physical strength and technical mastery with a clever tactical brain, he became Muay Thai champion by the time he was 18. Brushing aside all competition, he was feted as a national hero. On the personal front, he married at the height of his popularity, and was soon blessed with a daughter.
At the age of 24, however, his life was to take a dramatic turn for the worse. Approached by a group of unknown men and offered a massive sum to throw his next bout, he was subsequently threatened with physical harm if he failed to comply. With no intention of succumbing to such corruption, Fahkumram knocked out his opponent with a single blow shortly after the gong. Incensed, the match-fixing gang attacked Fahkumram and tried to murder him, but Fahkumram proved too strong, and managed to kill several of his would-be assassins.
Arrested on the spot once the police arrived, Fahkumram tried to assert self-defense, but as corrupt policemen and soldiers made up part of the group which had approached him, he was arrested and held by the military in a secure location. His wife and daughter were subsequently taken hostage, after which Fahkumram was given no choice but to act in accordance with the instructions of his captors, participating in secret underground martial arts competitions and show-fights against tigers and other wild animals. Unable to see a way out, Fahkumram became more and more desperate and disillusioned, and gradually lost himself in more extreme acts of violence and rage.
Four years later, with the world embroiled in the battle between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, the military forces controlling Fahkumram determined that the Mishima Zaibatsu posed a threat to the nation, and dispatched Fahkumram on a new mission. His task was to represent his country at The King of Iron Fist Tournament and claim victory there. With the promise that depending on the results he achieved, his family may be even set free, Fahkumram entered the fray, determined to win liberty for him and his family once and for all.[1]
Tekken 8[]
TEKKEN 8 - Fahkumram Gameplay Trailer
Official Website Profile (English)
Fahkumram is a Muay Thai fighter who once dominated the scene undefeated and was considered one of Thailand's national heroes.
One fateful day, he disobeyed the order of corrupt Thailand military officers to lose a match on purpose, which resulted in the military taking him into custody as well as detaining his wife and daughter as hostages.
Since then, Fahkumram was forced to toil under the Thai military as their pawn. He was ordered to participate in The King of Iron Fist Tournament to crush the Mishima Zaibatsu.
However, news of the death of the tournament organizer, Heihachi Mishima, halted the tournament.
Following that, G Corporation, led by Kazuya Mishima, began tightening its grip on the world. And The King of Iron Fist Tournament was back on to determine the fate of the country.
Although Fahkumram had no doubts that he would be forced to enter this tournament too, the military oddly did not give him orders to do so.
The unsettling truth was that the Thai military leader, blinded with greed, formed a secret treaty with the Mishima Zaibatsu and had been accepting bribes. Under their supervision, Kuma was elected as the representative of the Southeast Asia/Oceania Block instead.
"As long as the flames of war burn fierce in this world, I will allow your wife and daughter to live. After all, the longer conflict drags on, the fatter my pockets become thanks to the Mishima Zaibatsu!"
Enraged after hearing about the selfish, vulgar plan, Fahkumram sets his resolve and proceeds down a path of no return to reclaim his sole purpose of living.
"If my wife and daughter can live to see another day, then I won't waver to take another's life. I will become an avatar of the great Garuda!"
Fahkumram somberly closes his eyes after being mounted into the military-developed breaching vehicle; Thailand's ultimate weapon is en route to the battlefield.[9]
Official Website Profile (Japanese)
Once reigning as the undefeated and absolute champion of Thailand, Muay Thai fighter Fahkumram was a national hero of the country.
However, when he broke up a rigged fight arranged by some corrupt Thai military officials, he was taken into custody by the military, and his wife and daughter were held under house arrest as hostages.
Fahkumram is used as a pawn in the Thai military's plot to destroy the Mishima Zaibatsu by participating in The King of Iron Fist Tournament, but the organizers of the tournament, the Mishima Zaibatsu, are not satisfied.
However, the tournament is interrupted when news of the death of the organizer, Heihachi Mishima, breaks out.
The world was then ruled by the G Corporation led by Kazuya Mishima, and the King of Iron Fist Tournament was held again, this time with the fate of the country at stake.
Fahkumram was expected to participate in the tournament, but for some reason, he was never given an order by the military.
The truth is that a senior officer, dazzled by the large amount of bribes he was offered, had made a secret agreement with the remnants of the Mishima Zaibatsu to promote Kuma to represent the Southeast Asian and Oceania blocks.
“I will keep your wife and children alive as long as the war continues. The longer the conflict drags on, the more the Mishima Zaibatsu will continue to bribe us..!”
Although angered by this vile scheme of selfishness, Fahkumram is determined to remain steadfast in his resolve for his one and only meaning in life.
"I will not hesitate to take another life to save the lives of my wife and daughter. I will be the incarnation of an angry Garuda..!”
Fahkumram quietly closes his eyes as he climbs into the military's newly developed ejection-type entry weapon. Thailand's ultimate weapon is now sent into battle.[10]
Gameplay[]
Fahkumram is an offensive character that utilizes mix-ups to pressure opponents. He is particularly effective at pressuring opponents against a wall, as well as controlling the neutral game using his range.
Fahkumram also bulks up his chest embedded in a red light from his chest scars resembling Jin Kazama's red lightning Hit Effect that amplifies all of his moves as well as utilizing his Rage Art. In Tekken 8, this ability was much more pronounced and his Hit Effect now has a bloody hue when he used his moves either in Heat or in Rage Art.
Fighting Style[]
Fahkumram fights using Muay Thai, a combat sport renowned for its additional usage of knees and elbows for striking alongside punches and kicks. Unlike other styles, Muay Thai also holds an emphasis on clinching in order to control the fight and expose the opponent to knee or elbow strikes. It also, in regards to kicks, focuses almost solely on striking opponents using the shins and not the feet.
Unlike fellow practitioner Bruce Irvin, Fakhumram's style of Muay Thai is strictly traditional and more akin to the older Muay Boran which has several different forms and patterns compared to its modern counterpart. As such, his style of fighting could be classified as 'pure' Muay Thai, unlike Bruce's more Westernized version.
Moves[]
Quotes[]
- Main article: Fahkumram/Quotes
Character Relationships[]
- Craig Marduk - Fahkumram fights him during his Tekken 7 reveal trailer.
- Kuma - Kuma was put in place to represent the Southeast Asia/Oceania Block over Fahkumram during the eighth tournament, after the remnants of the Mishima Zaibatsu bribed a senior officer in the Thai military to allow it so.
- Kazuya Mishima - Kazuya seems aware of Fahkumram's position as a pawn of the Thai military, questioning why Fahkumram would allow them to control him.
- Nina Williams - Nina attempts to convince Fahkumram to side with G Corporation, seemingly aware of his family's situation as she offers G Corporation's protection. Fahkumram refuses this offer.
Gallery[]
- Main article: Fahkumram/Gallery
Trivia[]
General:
- Fahkumram (ฟ้าคำราม) in Thai means "Roaring Sky", another word for "Thunder", befitting his background as a survivor of a lightning strike.
- This is not his real name[11], as Muay Thai boxers usually use ring names.
- The veined scars that scatter throughout Fahkumram's body is an anomaly known as the "Lichtenberg Figure" which commonly affects victims of a lightning strike. It was mentioned in the developer diary that this was an intentional decision for his design in order to make him more imposing.[7]
- Fahkumram is the tallest playable human character in the Tekken series.[7]
- During his reveal trailer, Fahkumram was shorter than he later became was in-game. In the initial cutscene released in his trailer, Fahkumram dwarfs Marduk and towers over him. However, in the gameplay depicted in the trailer, he was the same height as Marduk. This was adjusted when Fahkumram was finally released for the game and he now stands as tall as Kuma.[12]
- A common theory was that the development team felt that his trailer appearance did not match up with in-game appearance and altered this. This, however, would have the unintended effect of hampering his hurtbox on release, and took several patches to fix throughout the later end of Season 3 of Tekken 7.
- Prior to his introduction, Katsuhiro Harada expressed interest in adding a character that officially used Muay Thai in an interview with IGN.[13] He did not consider Bruce Irvin to be a Muay Thai practitioner, as the marketing team, at the time, noted that most Westerners were not as familiar with Muay Thai, thus Bruce was simply left officially as "Kickboxing" instead.
- He is the first Thai Tekken character to appear in the series.
- His tattoo on his chest is based on the Garuda in Buddhism, and was stated to have been done to help emphasize his Thai heritage.[7]
- Several of Fahkumram's attacks were motion captured from Muay Thai champions, Suakim PK Saenchai and Nadaka Yoshinari.[7]
- According to the Tekken developers, their guiding principle when designing Fahkumram was "Make him so intimidating that one look makes you want to turn tail and run."[citation needed]
- Fahkumram's three scars on his face were received in an underground showcase match he was forced to participate in. He was slashed across the face by a tiger.[7]
- During his original trailer at Bangkok, one of Fahkumram's Power Crushes was meant to be his Lashing Squall. When he was released, his only Power Crush was his Heel Strike.
- During one of his intros, the poses and gestures that Fahkumram performs is the Wai Khru Ram Muay, a traditional ritual of respect that is done before actual Muay Thai matches to show thanks to the fighter's teacher and family, and is usually accompanied with music to complement the fighter's movements.
- This music can be heard in the opening part of the background music to Cave of Enlightenment, Fahkumram's home stage, meaning he performs the Wai Khru Ram Muay to its accompanying music when paired with this stage.
- Fahkumram was stated to have been banned from nearly every Tekken 7 tournament in Pakistan due to him being overpowered, as well as having hurtboxes that did not always function as intended.[14]
- The music from Fahkumram's Tekken 7 home stage, Cave of Enlightenment, was used once again for his Tekken 8 gameplay trailer.
- Fahkumram's new design in Tekken 8 features a traditional Sak Yant tattoo on his back which was drawn by a real, respected Thai monk.[15]
- Fahkumram has a unique intro and win animation against Bryan Fury and unique dialogue with Kazuya Mishima, Nina Williams, Jack-8, and all characters that use a weapon (Yoshimitsu, Clive Rosfield, Victor Chevalier, Marshall Law, Leroy Smith, Anna Williams, and Alisa Bosconovitch (in reference to her chainsaws)).
- Bryan will approach Fahkumram holding a large, steel beam, laughing. He yells "die!" before throwing the beam at Fahkumram, who kicks the beam away before proclaiming that he will "crush" Bryan. Fahkumram blocks Bryan's incoming punch with an elbow strike before the match begins.
- Kazuya asks Fahkumram why a strong fighter like him takes orders from cowards like "them", referring to the corrupt military who control Fahkumram. Fahkumram replies by stating that "a dead man has no reason to know".
- Fahkumram is seemingly offered a position in G Corp by Nina and vehemently refuses it.
- Fahkumram sees Jack-8 as nothing but a new "toy" from G Corp, and states that he will turn it into scrap. Upon winning, he states that a machine like Jack-8 could never crack his resolve.
- He seems to view weapons as lesser tools, noting how "desperately" weapon-users "cling to" their weapons. Upon winning, he will remark that the weapon wielder is nothing without their weapon.
- A fan illustrator, "yusa11subarukko", was hired to illustrate Fahkumram's backstory specifically for Tekken 8.[16][17][18]
- Fahkumram received a short documentary vlog hosted by producer Michael Murray during his visit to Bangkok, Thailand where he discussed Fahkumram's character design, origins, and how he was conceived as a character.
- Following this, Murray stated that there would be no more character documentaries, as Fahkumram's documentary received multiple complaints that convinced the team behind the documentary that there was no value in the endeavor.[19]
- Despite having visible facial hair in his Gameplay and Reveal trailers, Fahkumram had no facial hair upon release. This was fixed in patch 2.04.00.[20]
- While rarely seen smiling, Fahkumram can be seen doing so during his special intro dialogue against Armor King II, when he accepts the latter's challenge.
References[]
- ^ a b c d e Tekken 7 Official Japanese Website Profile. English Translation: Bandai Namco "Fahkumram’s release date announced in a new TEKKEN 7 trailer!".
- ^ a b In-game Tekken 8 profile
- ^ Concept art Character Data.
- ^ Katsuhiro Harada @Harada_TEKKEN, Twitter, 4:21 PM Jun 13, 2024, @TEKKEN_Project, Twitter. Note that information is not stated in-game.
- ^ Fahkumram's voice actor Aphichat Samutsiri...
- ^ Fahkumram TWT 2019 Finals reveal trailer
- ^ a b c d e f Tekken 7 Dev Diary
- ^ Tekken 7 Official English Website Profile.
- ^ Tekken 8 Official English Website Profile.
- ^ Tekken 8 Official Japanese Website Profile.
- ^ https://twitter.com/harada_tekken/status/1204339736157933568
- ^ Fahkumram Reveal trailer
- ^ Your Tekken 7 Questions Have Been Answered
- ^ Fahkumram has been banned from almost every Tekken 7 tournament in Pakistan according to Arslan Ash
- ^ [TEKKEN 8] Director Introduces Fahkumram’s Gameplay Highlights
- ^ https://x.com/TEKKEN/status/1942101473959035226
- ^ https://x.com/AzuMayo_LKRP/status/1942083244398350395
- ^ https://x.com/BuffGigas/status/1942066350899577323
- ^ Michael Murray on X
- ^ ChaoticNPC on X