Sergei Dragunov (Japanese: セルゲイ・ドラグノフ Serugei Doragunofu; Russian: Сергей Драгунов Sergey Dragunov) is a character in the Tekken series. He was first introduced in Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection as one of the three new characters, the other two being Lili and Armor King, and has returned in every subsequent game.
Dragunov is a member of the Spetsnaz (also known as the Russian Special Operatives) who have dubbed him "The White Angel of Death" and "White Reaper" due to his overwhelming fighting powers and inscrutable personality.
Biography[]
Dragunov is a member of an elite special operations unit in the Russian military. This role has put him in conflict with parties including the United Nations officers Raven and Master Raven,[9] and earned him the moniker "The White Angel of Death".[10]
He was sent to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 on a clandestine mission to capture a specimen of interest to the Russian military, but failed to secure the organism. On his return to Russia, Dragunov was deployed to quell the civil unrest spreading through the country due to the actions of covert Mishima Zaibatsu operatives. Dragunov was withdrawn from this mission and redeployed to infiltrate the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 and take down the Mishima Zaibatsu. The outcome of this mission is not stated.[11]
He would later enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 on army orders.[12] After this, Dragunov was permitted to take extended leave for the first time in his life. He took this opportunity to review his personal bucket list and settled on trying to complete a particularly difficult task.[1]
Personality[]
Dragunov is cold, calculating, and completely impassive when fighting opponents. Aside from a few lines of dialogue, Dragunov is an elective mute, speaking only a few words throughout the entire series. This tends to either annoy, confuse, or unsettle other characters as seen in his Scenario Campaign dialogues. He serves his motherland with utmost diligence and loyally follows orders when given. Dragunov is stoic and unreadable, and only focuses on the mission at hand. He shows no mercy towards his enemies or opponents. Despite this, he has his own quirks and interests, enjoying vacation time on his own, singing (first seen in his Tekken 6 win pose), and building model kits (as seen in his character endings in both Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tekken 8).
Outfits[]
- Main article: Sergei Dragunov/Outfits
Story[]
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection[]
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Manual, PAL
A member of an elite special forces team who is feared on battlefronts throughout the world as the White Angel of Death.[10]
Prologue
A frozen land buried in dense sub arctic forests. While undergoing geological research in preparation for the development of natural resources, an anomalous object is discovered below the permafrost. The military quickly calls special forces into action and the entire area is completely sealed off. The mysterious object is then transferred under absolute secrecy to a research facility for further study.
A month later, military headquarters receive an investigative report regarding the mysterious object and decides to order one of the men working at the dig on a clandestine mission. That man is Dragunov, a member of an elite special forces team who is feared in battlefronts throughout the world as The White Angel of Death. He acknowledges the mission with a silent nod and leaves for Japan.[13]
Ending Description
Scientists working for the Russian Government have Devil Jin inside a water tank. Dragunov gives them a signal to start. Activating the tank, electricity flows from the tank Devil Jin is inside to a similar one in the opposite side of the room, filling the opposite tank with many bubbles. As Devil Jin screams in pain, two glowing, demonic eyes can be seen in the tank on the opposite side of the room.
Tekken 6[]
Official Strategy Guide
Sergei Dragunov received orders from Russian Military Command to capture the organism known as the 'Devil.' In pursuit of his mission, he successfully infiltrated The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, but was unable to locate the organism.
Russia was in complete disorder with rampant civil disturbances, all believed to be caused by the covert actions of Mishima Zaibatsu operatives. Commissioned to suppress national unrest, Dragunov spent quite some time fighting his way across the country. He was eventually called back by the Russian military and ordered to infiltrate The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 to crush the Mishima Zaibatsu. Dragunov embarked once again for Japan.[14]
Prologue
Sergei Dragunov had received orders from Russian military headquarters to capture the specimen known as the 'Devil.' He successfully infiltrated The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, but was unable to locate the specimen.
Russia was in complete disorder due to numerous internal conflicts and civil disturbances, all believe to be caused by the covert actions of Mishima Zaibatsu operatives. In order to suppress national unrest, Dragunov was busy fighting across the country. He was then called back by top Russian military command and ordered to infiltrate The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 to crush the Mishima Zaibatsu.
Thus, Dragunov embarks once again for Japan.[11]
Ending Description
The Russian military has Azazel captured and Dragunov signals them to haul it in. Suddenly, a plane shows up and Raven jumps from it, extracting a magenta-colored orb out of Azazel. He then makes his escape back to the plane with the soldiers shooting at it. Unbeknownst to Raven, a charge had been slipped onto the plane and Dragunov detonates it with a smirk.
Tekken 7[]
Prologue
Sergei Dragunov entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament on army orders. At the designated arena of his first match, a woman appeared before him. There was something strangely familiar about her...
It didn't take Dragunov long to figure out who she was, and he wasted no time in readying himself for combat.[12]
Ending Description
After defeating Master Raven, Dragunov orders one of his soldier's military tankers to shoot her with a single missile. As his opponent burns in a blaze of fire, Dragunov walks away chuckling to himself and smirks at the camera.
Tekken 8[]
Official Website Profile (Japanese; US English)
Sergei Dragunov is a user of Commando Sambo and is feared for his alias "The White Angel of Death," a name he earned through his sheer and overwhelming combat prowess. While the world was embroiled in the armed conflict between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corp, Dragunov joined the King of Iron Fist Tournament with a certain goal in mind. However, midway through the tournament, the tournament's organizer, Heihachi Mishima, goes missing, bringing the competition to a halt.
Dragunov returns home, and in recognition of his dedication to his work, is granted an extended leave for the first time in his life. Dragunov is known for his extreme work ethic—so much so that it is rumored he works even in his sleep. However, upon returning to his room, it's as if he has a spring in his step. In his study, Dragunov opens a safe and removes an ancient notebook with an eerie cover, which he begins to examine. The usually cold-hearted Dragunov seems to be in high spirits as he writes. From his unsettling manner, it is clear that it can only be one thing—a list known and feared as "The Angel of Death's List."
...However, in reality, it is nothing more than a bucket list of things that Dragunov has been saving up to do when he finally gets some extended free time. While drinking a cup of homemade sbiten to warm himself, Dragunov reads over the notebook, humming a tune and nodding in apparent satisfaction.
After reflecting upon his younger self, Dragunov chooses a task that will be particularly difficult to achieve. With that new aim in mind, he sets out to accomplish his goal.[1]
Character Episode Prologue
Known as the White Angel of Death, Sergei Dragunov is feared around the world for his prowess in battle.
As the conflict between G Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu enveloped the planet in chaos, he received new orders.
Enter The King of Iron Fist Tournament, and seize control of the Mishima Zaibatsu for himself.
Dragunov assented with his usual cold and detached demeanor, and set out to join the tournament.
Ending Description
Using the Zaibatsu's resources, Dragunov hoards several plastic tank model sets, caring little for the economic downturn brought by G Corporation. As he is assembling one of the tanks, Dragunov is shocked to find that instead of a tank's turret, he is instead greeted with a direct message from the manufacturer of their company's bankruptcy. Dismayed, Dragunov instead substitutes the tank's turret with the head of a Mokujin figure and chuckles triumphantly at his oddly shaped model.
Summary of In-Game Events
Dragunov is among the participants of Kazuya's King of Iron Fist Tournament, being the winner of Europe Block C. Dragunov faces Shaheen, but the pair's fight is rendered null when the entire tournament is suspended following an attack by the United Nations and Yggdrasil. Following the tournament, Dragunov is scouted by Nina Williams to be one of G Corporation's commanders for its attack on Yakushima.
Dragunov is put in charge of commanding a sizable chunk of G Corporation's forces, and he is ambushed by long-time enemy Victor Chevalier after being distracted by the rest of the resistance. Though Victor gains the upper hand, Dragunov safely escapes before his enemy can deal a fatal blow.
In the bad ending, Dragunov is found to have taken the time to visit Smith Coffee, where he enjoys a cup served by Azucena Ortiz.
Other Appearances[]
Tekken 2010 film[]
Dragunov appeared in the Tekken 2010 live action movie as a Russian fighter and portrayed by Anton Kasabov. In this movie, he is sponsored by the RusCorp. He is an expert in the art of the spear or sōjutsu in the Japanese language as he wields a straight-headed spear similar to the Japanese spear called yari. He came into the semi finals where he fought against Bryan Fury with a spear. Despite having the upper hand in the beginning, Dragunov is ultimately killed after Bryan Fury managed to take away his spear and is easily overpowered.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2[]
Sergei Dragunov is featured as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Profile
A Russian soldier who bears the mysterious name "White Death." Having received special orders to bring down the Mishima Zaibatsu--the very source of the war itself-- he heads for the Far East. He rarely ever speaks, and even many of his confidants claim they have never heard his voice.[15]
Ending Description
Dragunov enters his office, having received a special package from Doctor Boskonovitch. Inside the box is an Alisa-model android and an instruction sheet. Dragunov attempts to put the android together only for something to impede his progress each time, such as the android falling apart, being unable to connect certain limbs to certain sockets and inadvertently activating Alisa's jet boosters. After somehow getting Alisa's head stuck to her hips, Dragunov refers to the instructions one last time, having noticed a red button inside of a compartment in her right thigh. Dragunov presses the button only to trigger an explosive device which causes a large scale explosion visible for a few miles. Naturally all throughout the movie, Dragunov's expression does not change and he says nothing in regards to his predicament as well.
Tekken Revolution[]
Sergei Dragunov appears in Tekken Revolution as a playable character.
Gameplay[]
Dragunov is a powerhouse character, having some of the strongest moves with an arsenal of dangerous moves, Dragunov especially excels in pressure to devastate his opponents. With high priority high and low attacks that can catch opponents off guard near instantly, Dragunov is the only character to be able to do a reversal whilst crouching, making him a good defense character too. Good Dragunov players will use his counters to their advantage, specifically for pressurizing opponent's attacks and controlling the battle.
His assortment of grappling attacks are able to keep the opponent guessing which of his moves are going to hit. For example; the eye gouge to stingray attack is a useful move because it's final blow is a sweep that catches opponents off guard. However, if the opponent is aware of that move and is ready to block the attack with a crouch then players can change the move to a clipping sweep to feint and catch, which then grabs the crouching enemy and deals extra damage to them.
He also has two moves that will have different animations on counter hit - his Clipping Sweep and his Slide (db+3 and qcf+3) which can give him a good advantage. Both these moves will deal massive damage on counter.
In Tekken (Mobile), a Halloween version of Dragunov retains some of his moves and his unique throw has him draining the opponents' health by sucking their blood to restore the medium portion of his health in a similar manner to Eliza's.
Fighting Style[]
Dragunov fights using Commando Sambo; a modified offensive style of Sambo used and trained by members of the Russian army to defend one's self in a hand-to-hand combat situation. Sambo as a sport focuses on throwing and submissions whilst restricting chokeholds. Commando Sambo differs from the sport variation as users are given the privilege of punching, kicking and the intention of fracturing bones. The punching and kicking motions are derived from Mixed Martial Arts techniques.
Moves[]
Ghost Data[]
Quotes[]
Character Relationships[]
- Jin Kazama/Devil Jin - Dragunov was sent by the Russian government to capture Jin in Tekken 5 (in the latter's devil form) and Tekken 6. In his TK5:DR ending, Dragunov is seen possibly extracting an entity from Devil Jin. Devil Jin is one of the few characters Dragunov will speak to in his Tekken 6 Scenario Campaign dialogues, stating that he has been looking for Devil Jin and will not let him escape. In Tekken 8, Dragunov works for Jin's father and enemy, Kazuya Mishima.
- Alisa Bosconovitch - In his non-canon Scenario Campaign dialogues, despite Alisa's feeling of unease when around Dragunov, the two seemed to work well as a team with Alisa frequently trying to lighten the mood during missions. She tries (and succeeds at times) in finding things to talk about that Dragunov seems to like. Alisa also features in Dragunov's (non-canon) Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ending, where he unsuccessfully tries to build her, after she is delivered in a box with an instruction sheet. Canonically in Tekken 8, they are directly enemies, as Alisa is on Jin's side, while Dragunov is on Kazuya's side.
- Zafina - Zafina knew about Dragunov's existence as a Spetsnaz soldier in the Scenario Campaign story in Tekken 6. If the player plays as Zafina, at Dragunov's stage, Dragunov considers her to be a threat to his mission.[16]
- Raven - Raven has tried to prevent Dragunov from completing various missions. It is implied that there is a history and potential rivalry between the two of them.
- Master Raven - His opponent in Tekken 7.
- Victor Chevalier - From their Tekken 8 intro dialogue, the two appear to be acquainted, possibly indicating a continuation of the Raven rivalry Dragunov holds with other members of the Raven Unit.
- Shaheen - His opponent during the tournament's quarter final, and enemy during a war at Yakushima in Tekken 8, as Shaheen is on Jin's side, while Dragunov is on Kazuya's side.
- Bryan Fury - In the non-canon 2010 film, Bryan killed Dragunov by slitting his throat with a chain. In Tekken 8, the two are both scouted to work for Kazuya.
Etymology[]
- The name "Sergei" means "servant, protector" in Russian, stemming from the original Latin name, "Sergius".
- "Dragunov" means "son of the dragon" or "dragon's son" and is of Slavic origin.
Trivia[]
General:
- Although mostly silent (save for grunts) in the series, Dragunov's Scenario Campaign Dialogues and Tekken 7 win poses indicate that he is perfectly capable of speaking and even enjoys singing outside of battle, he just does not wish to speak most of the time.
- So far in the series, Dragunov has only spoken eight lines of dialogue, all of which are in the scenario campaign and two of which were only single word sentences.
- Dragunov's name is based on the two Russian rifle designers; Sergei Simonov and Evgeny Dragunov, the latter of which designed the sniper rifle SVD Dragunov. His name may also be based on real life sambo practitioner, Sergei Kharitonov.
- Dragunov is one of the three characters that work for the government rather than a private company. The other two are Lei Wulong and Lidia Sobieska.
- It is still currently unknown what the entity in Dragunov's Dark Resurrection ending is; speculation leads the entity to be Azazel, Devil Kazuya, or the devil inside Jin, but paying particular attention to the ending section of the clip, is possible to note a similarity between its silhouette and Jinpachi's. This may mean that the model of Jinpachi was used for the entity, but not that it actually is Jinpachi in terms of storyline, since it was kept unrecognizable. Recent speculation even suggested that the entity may be newcomer Gigas that was extracted from Devil Jin.
- Dragunov's first sub-boss, encountered at Stage 4, is Raven. Raven divulges that he is onto his "organization" and actions. It is also highly speculated that Raven may have some ties to Dragunov and vice-versa, as both are members of elite units and are both sent to investigate the events in Tekken 5.
- Before Dragunov fights Devil Jin during his Stage 8 encounter, he looks at a picture of his opponent. It appears to be a picture of Devil Jin in his complete transformation (see Devil Jin's Tekken 5 ending). After Dragunov defeats him, Dragunov can be seen dragging Devil Jin by the horns.
Tekken 6 and Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion:
- In the arcade beta-version of Tekken 6, Dragunov's name is spelled "Dragnov". It is also spelled "Dragnov" in an issue of Arcadia. This is a transcription error, and Dragunov's name is correctly spelled "Dragunov" in the international version of Tekken 6.
- Dragunov has a new pre-fight animation. In it, the camera focuses on Dragunov's face as he approaches his opponent. Then, the camera lowers to show all of his body except his lower legs and feet. Then, the camera moves up to Dragunov's upper body as he goes into his fighting stance.
- Dragunov has three new win animations:
- His first is seen by pressing and holding "3+4" after winning a fight with Dragunov. For it, the opponent will be shown laying unconscious on the floor. Then, Dragunov will come in crawling from the right to the left, in front of his unconscious opponent.
- His second win animation starts with Dragunov walking in a very casual and apparently joyful manner away from his opponent with his hands behind his back. His back is facing the screen. If the player listen very closely, Dragunov can be heard humming.
- His third new animation, added in Bloodline Rebellion, starts with a closeup of Sergei's face with him apathetically looking at his watch and realizing he is late for something (for what he is late for is unknown), then he turns around and quickly walks away.
- In the Scenario Campaign mode, Sergei Dragunov is a boss at the Container Terminal 7 stage.
- Dragunov's first two opponents in Tekken 6's "Arena" mode are Eddy Gordo and Nina Williams.
- Dragunov's first item move has him toss a tear gas grenade, but it has no effect outside its visual. His second item move has him crawl forward before prepping his sniper rifle and firing it at the opponent.
- Sergei Dragunov is the only character who can reverse low attacks.
- Dragunov can be Customized to resemble the Joker from DC Comics' Batman comic series, and Edward Scissorhands from Tim Burton's movie of the same name.
- His ending is a counterpart of Raven's ending; in Raven's ending, he escapes with the orb. In Dragunov's, Dragunov slips a charge on the plane that Raven escapes on and detonates it, more than likely killing him.
- Dragunov's item move has him load a grenade launcher before firing it forward.
- Dragunov's Rage Art bears a resemblance to Q's Deadly Double Combination in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
- The black beret Dragunov wears in Fated Retribution is often associated with the "OMON" special police force in Russia, but also with Spetsnaz soldiers who have been recruited from Russia's marine division.
- Dragunov's new item move has him summon a miniature tank that charges at the opponent.
- This is the last game of his original voice actor Kenichi Morozumi, who passed away at the age of 67 in September 2022, due to heart failure. Morozumi had voiced Dragunov for all games to date when he died, from Dragunov's debut in Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection until Tekken 7.
- Prior to his official reveal, Dragunov was among the characters that were in the roster leak in July 2023.
- Following Kenichi Morozumi's death, he was replaced by Shōhei Harada as Dragunov's voice actor.
- Dragunov has a special intro with Victor Chevalier.
- As Dragunov moves forward, he senses something, and immediately dodges Victor's attempt to attack him from behind. Victor remarks that it has "been a while", referring to Dragunov by his moniker the "White Angel of Death", before Dragunov crawls towards Victor to begin the match.
Other:
- In Street Fighter X Tekken, Sagat's Swap Costume design is based on Dragunov's default costume.
Gallery[]
- Main article: Sergei Dragunov/Gallery
References[]
- ^ a b c d Tekken 8 Official Japanese Website Profile; Tekken 8 Official US English Website Profile
- ^ a b In-game Tekken 8 profile
- ^ https://www.tekken-official.jp/tk5dr/characters/dragunov.html
- ^ See Jun Kazama's Tekken 8 Official Japanese Website Profile, which states that Ogre's attack took place 'seven years ago'. The Tekken 3 story write up states that this attack happened four years prior to the events of Tekken 3.
- ^ 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.
- ^ https://mobile.twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/249062880975138816
- ^ https://twitter.com/shochan0521/status/1750828848986587630
- ^ Sergei Dragunov/Scenario Campaign Dialogues#Devil Jin
- ^ Master Raven's Tekken 6 Character Episode.
- ^ a b Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection PlayStation PAL Manual.
- ^ a b Tekken 6 In-Game Prologue.
- ^ a b Tekken 7 Character Prologue.
- ^ Tekken 5 In-Game Prologue.
- ^ Tekken 6 Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2009), p.250; transcribed on Tekken Zaibatsu.
- ^ Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U profile.
- ^ Zafina/Scenario Campaign Dialogues#Sergei Dragunov. Dragunov rarely speaks to other characters unless he has a personal vendetta or mission-related trouble with them.