Lars Alexandersson (ラース・アレクサンダーソン Rāsu Arekusandāson?) is one of the main characters of the Tekken series since his first introduction in Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion and is the main protagonist of that game and later one of the main protagonists in Tekken 7. He is the illegitimate child of Heihachi Mishima and an unknown Swedish mother. Lars' tagline is "the one who betrayed his own in order to build a new era".
Biography
Personality
Lars has a heroic personality and a strong sense of justice. When the Mishima Zaibatsu no longer aligned with what he believed to be right, he led a coup against them. He is clearly a man of charisma and commands the respect of his peers, as nearly half of Tekken Force chose to join his rebel army during his insurrection. He has also been shown to be short tempered as he was quick to draw a gun on his father and shoot him during Tekken 6, and became irate and furious with Jin Kazama when the latter taunted him and set his friend, Alisa Bosconovitch, against him. Lars has been shown both to have an emotional side to him - expressing anger and sorrow in Tekken 6, especially at the loss of his lieutenant, Tougou, but also to have the ability to set aside his personal feelings in order to do what is practical and necessary. In Tekken 7, he easily sets aside his previous alliance with Raven in order to recover Jin for his owns ends, and also sets aside his dislike of Jin, whilst persuading the Journalist to do the same, since Jin is necessary for his plans. Lars is self reliant, initially treating others with suspicion, as when Lee Chaolan first proposed an alliance with him, but will trust and rely on those who are proven to be loyal to him, such as Tougou, Alisa, and (later) Lee. Whilst he is a strategist, he also trusts others to lead, and often used to give command of his troops to Tougou so that he himself could fight on the frontline. Lars is a pragmatic soldier and unafraid to bring a gun to a fistfight if it serves his purpose.
Appearance
Lars has sandy brown hair, sweeping up on the right side. His facial features bears some resemblence to his father, Heihachi Mishima. He has blue eyes, and appears to be a little taller than Lee Chaolan (178 cm/5′10″) and slightly shorter than Kazuya Mishima (181 cm/5′11¼″). He is usually shown wearing a full military body suit, with a pauldron shaped into a lions head - either Tekken Force armor, or modified into Yggdrasil armor. He often also wears a cape.
Outfits
Story
Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion
Official Version
As the Mishima Zaibatsu waged war on the world, G Corporation, led by Kazuya Mishima, rose from titanic to power and was their main opposition, leading to worldwide conflict. Meanwhile, the Zaibatsu's former Tekken Force soldiers began a coup d'etat against the Mishima Zaibatsu. The mastermind behind this coup d'etat was Lars Alexandersson, a young and charismatic Tekken Force officer with incredible physical ability and intellect. Most importantly, he is the illegitimate son of Heihachi Mishima, and with the exception of Lars, no one, not even Heihachi, is aware of this piece of information. Lars's goal is to bring peace by defeating his half-nephew, Jin Kazama. Lars's coup d'etat becomes the foundation of a rebellion who's mission is to end the war the Zaibatsu started. The rebel army Lars leads is named Yggdrasil.
In-game Prologue (PSP) As the rise of the G Corporation brought carnage across the world, a large portion of the Zaibatsu's special military unit, the Tekken Force, defected from the organization. Lars led the cou d'etat. With an uncommonly high physical and mental ability, Lars became a high ranking officer in the Tekken Force at a young age. Despite his high rank, Lars often fought on the front lines. This, along with his charismatic personality, made him popular among his subordinates.
Only he knows that he is a descendant of none other than Heihachi Mishima.
Not even Heihachi is aware of this fact.
Ending Text (PSP):
Thanks to the support of a mystery investor. Lars was able to found a private military company dubbed "Yggdrasil" in Northern Europe as a place of stay for his rebel army.
-Several Months Later-
An elite squad under Lars' command was attempting a raid on a Mishima Zaibatsu military complex.
Ending Description
Multiple HUMVEEs smash their way into the Zaibatsu's building before Lars's soldiers exit their vehicles to fight. The group soon attack several Tekken Force members emerging from a nearby hallway as a firefight ensues between both sides. Lars finally emerges as one of the Tekken Force members shoots an RPG towards him, but Lars simply swats the projectile away before charging straight for the Tekken Force members.
After defeating several, Lars attempts to finish the last member, still holding his RPG launcher. An explosion engulfs the pair, but the unscathed Lars turns back to his soldiers, simply stating "It's about to begin".
Scenario Campaign
See Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion's Plot & Lars Alexandersson/Scenario Campaign Dialogues.
Tekken 7
Version 1: A former officer of the Mishima Zaibatsu's special military unit, the Tekken Force, Lars enacted a coup d'état and rebelled against his former employer.
Lars continues to fight despite the loss of his fallen comrades, and his bloody rebellion is nowhere near finished.[6]
Version 2: Lars Alexandersson has both exceptional physical ability and intelligence. At a young age, he became a Tekken Force officer – the special forces that the Mishima Zaibatsu is very proud of. Jin Kazama, who became the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, started a war against the world. Lars had doubts about Jin’s methods, and led many Tekken Force soldiers to carry out a coup d’etat. After that, Lars survived many battles, and now puts a certain plan into action. Hiding out with his rebel army in a secret base, he is looking for an opportunity to strike.[7]
Story Mode
While driving in the Middle East, Lars watches his birth father's announcement of the King of The Iron Fist Tournament 7. He later finds and rescues Jin from being captured by UN soldiers, bringing his nephew to a facility owned by Lee for his recovery. Later, Lars reunites with Alisa after she is brought by Lee. When the three of them watch over Jin, Lars is about to state his intentions for his nephew when they are suddenly attacked by the Tekken Force. Lars and his men hold off the soldiers while Alisa battles Nina. Lee manages to hijack the helicopter carrying Jin, and Lars makes his escape with Alisa while Lars’ army exits by the other side of the escape passage. Lee then destroys the facility with no one left behind. Lars later asks if it was Lee's plan all along to lure them into defeat them.
Later, Lars is introduced by Lee to an investigative journalist who is trying to uncover the truth of the Mishima Zaibatsu. While talking to Lee, Lars reveals that he intends to use Jin to stop the war, which surprises the journalist. Lars later finds the journalist preparing to kill Jin out of revenge for starting the war which led to his family as one of the casualties. Understanding how the journalist felt, Lars stops him from doing so, restating that he believes that Jin himself will be the key to ending the conflict.
A few days later, Lars, Lee, Alisa and the journalist watch Heihachi's broadcasting Kazuya's devil form while the latter is fighting Akuma. At night, Lars receives a call from the Mishima Zaibatsu, informing him to pick up the journalist at a wharf after his interview with Heihachi. A few hours later, they all watch via Lee's spy satellite as Heihachi and Kazuya fight for the final time inside a volcano.
After Heihachi is killed by Kazuya, Lars stands on the rooftops of a destroyed city with Lee and Alisa, and says to the now-awakened Jin that he now has to right his wrongs, and bring an end to the endless conflict for good.
Other Appearances
Street Fighter X Tekken
Lars appeared as a playable character in Street Fighter X Tekken (as a default in the PlayStation Vita version and as a DLC in other versions). His partner is Alisa Bosconovitch and their rivals are Sakura and Blanka.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Lars appears as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Lars Ending
Ending Description: Lars, Kazuya, Jin, Heihachi, Jun and Asuka are sitting around a dinner table, eagerly awaiting Jun's prepared dinner. As soon as the pot steams up and is opened, however, Lars finds himself unable to eat even a single morsel as everyone literally outspeeds him in grabbing any bit of food they can, even one final egg which gets launched into the air and subsequently speared into pieces by everyone's chopsticks. Even when there is one last strip of seaweed left that Lars tries to get at, Heihachi immediately inhales it. Lars eventually awakens in his squad helicopter, the whole ordeal having been but a nightmare. The movie ends as Lars dismisses his dream as a bad one and his stomach growls, sheepishly asks if anyone has any food he can have.
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
Lars as he appears in Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
Lars is a bonus playable character in Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. He wears a custom outfit designed for him by Masashi Kishimoto, which was also added to Bloodline Rebellion. Unlike other characters, he will speak in Japanese even if the English setting is on. Instead of throwing shurikens and using nature transformations, Lars uses special firearms with shuriken ammo as projectiles. His Jutsu is his "Zeus" uppercut and his Ultimate Jutsu being his ten-hit combo. His Awakening Mode is Tekken 6's Rage Mode, complete with red trails.
His background story in the game is left unknown.
Tekken Revolution
Lars appears as a playable character in Tekken Revolution.
Gameplay
Lars is one of the more flexible fighters in the series, equipped with a number of moves that are useful in a variety of situations and against a variety of fighters, and is also one of the most simple to learn and use. Lars is an offensive character, with great speed and safe launchers, which make it pretty easy to get the opponent up into the air for juggles.
Fighting style
According to Katsuhiro Harada, Lars' fighting style was not based on any real martial art and is completely made up.[8] His fighting style was officially listed as Karate in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.[1] In Tekken 7 however, it is now referred to as "Tekken Forces Martial Arts" (鉄拳衆特殊部隊格闘術 Tekkenshū tokushu butai kakutō-jutsu?).[2]
Lars' fighting style strongly resembles and was possibly inspired by Shorinji Kempo, a martial art that includes rapid attacks and flashy, quick movements including the elements of go-ho (hard techniques such as punches, kicks, and other strikes) and ju-ho (soft techniques such as joint locks, throws, and defenses).
Moves
- Lars Alexandersson/Tekken 6 Movelist
- Lars Alexandersson/Street Fighter X Tekken Movelist
- Lars Alexandersson/Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Movelist
- Lars Alexandersson/Tekken 7 Movelist
Ghost Data
Quotes
Character Relationships
- Jinpachi Mishima - His deceased grandfather.
- Heihachi Mishima - His now-deceased father. Lars is the illegitimate child of Heihachi and a Swedish woman.[9]
- Kazuya Mishima - His older half-brother.
- Lee Chaolan - His adoptive older brother. Lee became allies with Lars during his visit at Violet Systems and offered to help him to repair Alisa at the end of the Scenario Campaign. Works together with him in protecting Jin in Tekken 7.
- Jin Kazama - His half-nephew and former superior. Rescues him from capture and later sends him out to defeat Kazuya in Tekken 7.
- Alisa Bosconovitch - His partner in the Scenario Campaign. However, at Jin's headquarters, she betrays Lars when Jin reprogrammed her. She was finally defeated by Lars and Raven outside Azazel's temple, Lars then brought her to Lee to be repaired by him. Reunites with her in Tekken 7. Alisa is also Lars' partner in Street Fighter X Tekken.
- Tougou - His deceased close friend and lieutenant.
- Nina Williams - His enemy in the Scenario Campaign in TK6 and in TK7.
- Eddy Gordo - His former colleague in the Mishima Zaibatsu.
- Raven - His second partner and ally, who teamed up with Lars after Alisa turned against him.
- Lei Wulong - Lars (along with Alisa) helped him defeat members of G Corporation at an Interpol branch office.
- Julia Chang - Lars rescued her from G Corporation (by Lee's request).
- Lili - She had done research on Lars and gave him her old SUV for him to travel in.
- Azazel - Lars defeated him, but he did not die. He was later destroyed by Jin.
- Wang Jinrei - He gave information to Lars about Jin's war on the world and warned him about Alisa. He also told him about an epitaph Heihachi found in Central America that might be of use to him.
- Zafina - She assures that Lars will save the world from Azazel. She later allies with Lars (and Raven) to fight off an army of Tekken Force soldiers on an island (Anger of the Earth).
- NANCY-MI847J - He encountered it during the Scenario Campaign, but it was dealt with by Raven.
- Noctis Lucis Caelum - A friend of Lars as seen in his reveal trailer where Lars contacts him to clear their fishing spot (non-canon).
Etymology
- Lars is derived from the Roman/Latin name "Laurentius", which means "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel". It's also the Swedish word for "Laurence".
- His last name, Alexandersson, is a surname derived of two parts; from the Greek name "Alexander" (literally meaning "He who defends men") and the Scandinavian suffix "son" (meaning "son of"). Alexandersson meaning "Son of the Defender of Mankind".
Trivia
General:
- A vast majority of Lars' moves are named after military terms or terms used in the field of electronics and electromagnetism.
- Some aspects of Lars are inspired by Scandinavian mythology, especially Thor, God of Thunder. Lars is from Sweden, which is part of Scandinavia, and has power over lightning, as all Mishimas by blood do. Lars has moves and names associated with Norse mythology such as a move named after Thor's Hammer "Mjolnir" and the name of his rebel army, Yggdrasil.
- The name of the rebel army that Lars leads is called Yggdrasil. In Norse mythology, it is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology, in connection to which the nine worlds exist.
- He shares some physical similarities with Siegfried Schtauffen, a character and main protagonist of the Soul series, another fighting game series by Namco.
- In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Lars can be customized to resemble Siegfried.
- Despite being Swedish, Lars has only spoken in Japanese so far, making him one of the few Tekken characters who do not speak in their native language.
- Lars' cellphone appeared to be an unknown Sony Ericsson model until it changed into an unknown touch screen phone.
- Lars is unplayable in Scenario Campaign's Arena Mode along with Alisa, since Scenario Campaign describes both their stories.
- The old SUV that Lili gave to Lars was a Danver which was in the Ridge Racer series.
- His move "Zeus" in the Ultimate Ninja Storm games, has him summoning lightning bolts from the sky into his hand to electrically charge it and hit the opponent with it.
- During the early release Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Lars became subject to a meme known as "#BuffLars", where Lars players would continuously complain about the balance nerfs that he received in the transition.[10]
- Lars and Alisa have a story mode together also featuring Lee, in Tekken Pachislot 4.
- Lars's tagline "the one who betrayed his own in order to build a new era" stands in direct contrast to the Tekken Force motto Potius mori quam tradere - 'It is better to die, than to betray'.
- According to Harada, Lars's mother was good at cooking and introduced him to many cuisines. She cooked both Scandinavian local dishes for him and Japanese dishes. Lars is particularly partial to crayfish.[11]
- His item move is the Submachine Gun which he uses to shoot his opponent three times. The
- In Tekken 6's arcade mode, he and Alisa will always be the player's opponent at Stage 6, before they fight Jin.
- Lars, along with Alisa, are the only two characters not to have their own Arena Mode in Scenario Campaign.
- In the PSP version, however, they have their own Story Mode (which is the PSP counterpart to Arena Mode). Lars' opponents include the following: Kazuya Mishima, Azazel, Alisa Bosconovitch and Jin Kazama.
- Lars is portrayed by Jonathan Henry in the live-action short film.
- Lars's item move has him charge a sword with electricity before swinging it at his opponent.
- In the Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Lars has a 3rd costume based on Link from Twilight Princess.
- His ending depicts a nightmare in which he eats with the Mishima family, but oddly the dream depicts Jun, whom Lars has never met, and Asuka, who has rarely if ever spoken to Lars, and a young Heihachi, who Lars is unlikely to have seen with black hair. The scene also omits Lee Chaolan, the family member Lars knows better.
- Lars is voiced by Zach Hanks in English. Unlike his guest appearance in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 where he is voiced only in Japanese.
- His swap costume is Geki's (one of the NPC characters from the original Street Fighter) outfit.
- Ken's Swap Costume is Lars' outfit.
- His Rage Drive (1+2 after Silent Entry transition) is a modified Lightning Thrust which allows him to extend his combos further than usual by automatically transitioning to Dynamic Entry. If blocked, the player can perform a faster version of Zeus.
- This is the first game where he uses the pronoun "kisama" (貴様) as his form of second-person pronoun. He used this pronoun on the post-credits scene.
- Lars has an outfit that was released as a collaboration between Tekken and New Japan Pro Wrestling, based on the wrestler Hiroshi Tanahashi.[12] Equiping the outfit will alter Lars's Rage Art so that he finishes with a wrestling move.[13]
- Lars can be customized to resemble Cloud Strife, the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII.
Pokkén Tournament:
- Lucario borrows a lot of moves from Lars; It uses his Hollow Point into Lightning Thrust, Ark Blast as its Counter Attack and Blue Bolt. Also, its alternate color makes it resemble Lars in Tekken 6.
Gallery
See Also
References
- ^ a b http://www.tekken-official.jp/tag2/chara/lars.html
- ^ a b http://www.tekken-official.jp/tk7ac/character/lars.php
- ^ https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/13569426695655424
- ^ https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/109996419615690752
- ^ https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/304529116131110913
- ^ http://tk7.tekken.com/fighters/lars
- ^ https://www.tk7.tekken-official.jp/chara/
- ^ https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/254338952281067520
- ^ https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/305190144057688065
- ^ http://www.tekkenzaibatsu.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=127236
- ^ https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/305195077695836160
- ^ https://www.fightersgeneration.com/screens2/tekken7-tanahashi.htm
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jIYiNdMfWY