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The Tekken Force (鉄拳衆 Tekkenshu?), is the private corporate army of the Mishima Zaibatsu, featured in the Tekken fighting game series. They first appeared in Tekken 3. They were built up by Heihachi Mishima who greatly expanded the military capacity of the Zaibatsu after he retook the corporation from his son, Kazuya Mishima.

The Tekken Force motto (or at least the motto of the Special Forces Operational Group) is Potius mori quam tradere - 'It is better to die, than to betray'.

At the beginning of Tekken 6 the size of Tekken Force was just under 60,000 soldiers. Lars Alexandersson states that he led over half of Tekken Force's soldiers into rebellion,[1] and one of Heihachi Mishima's bodyguards in Tekken 6 informs Heihachi that Lars's rebel army consists of around 30,000 soldiers,[2] making the approximate total number of Tekken Force units prior to desertion at this time just under 60,000. As well as Lars's forces which seceded from Tekken Force before the start of Tekken 6, a number of special forces also left Jin's Tekken Force in order to join Heihachi and remained loyal to him rather than Jin.[3]

Story[]

Tekken Force was created by Heihachi Mishima after the events of The King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. He took back the Mishima Zaibatsu from his son, Kazuya Mishima, and threw him into a volcano. Heihachi established Tekken Force some time afterwards, and it acted as the private army and armed security force of the Mishima Zaibatsu, with its supreme commander being the concurrent CEO of the Zaibatsu.

Heihachi dispatched Tekken Force all over the world to quell small skirmishes as well as provide economic aid in foreign countries in order to gain public approval and the support of world leaders. Tekken Force were involved in cultivating wastelands in order to turn them into arable land that could help feed poor countries,[4] and often carried out disaster relief aid, including at least one instance of providing relief after a typhoon in The Philippines.[5] Secretly, however, Tekken Force were under orders to find links to Ogre, whose blood was key to Heihachi's research into immortality. Heihachi dispatched a Tekken Force unit to Mexico, but the entire unit were annihilated by Ogre, who had been awakened by the trespass into his domain. Ogre thereafter began seeking out other skilled fighters.

During The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, Heihachi had a squadron of Tekken Force join him in attacking Jin Kazama after his hard-fought victory over True Ogre. The attack triggered Jin's Devil Gene, however, and he transformed into a devil and fled the scene. Nonetheless, the Tekken Force was able to take samples of Ogre's blood. Tekken Force later attacked Jane, presumably for smuggling illegal data on the development of the Jack series. Jane would later escape at the cost of the Tekken Force destroying Gun Jack. The objectives of the Tekken Force then shifted to locating Jin and the remains of the late Kazuya Mishima, as it was revealed that samples of the Devil Gene itself were necessary for the success of Doctor Abel's Devil-Human Integration Program. While Jin could not be located (he had fled to Australia at this time), it was revealed that Kazuya's body had been retrieved and was being experimented on by the biotech company, G Corporation.

In response, Heihachi ordered a simultaneous raid of G Corporation's facilities in Nebraska and Nepal. Nepal's attack yielded critical data stored within the facility's servers, including G Corp's Forest Rejuvenation Data. Nebraska's attack was stopped by the shocking arrival of Kazuya himself, who had been revived by G Corporation scientists.

After announcing the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, which lured both Kazuya and Jin into Heihachi's reach, Tekken Force ambushed Jin, shooting him with multiple tranquilizer darts, before restraining him within Hon-Maru.

Though Tekken Force were not used during the period of Heihachi's apparent death and Jinpachi Mishima's reclamation, after Jin ascended to the position of Mishima Zaibatsu CEO, he began altering the Force entirely into his personal army. Declaring war on the world, Tekken Force made staggering military advances thanks to their advanced equipment and training. At some point, when it became clear that Heihachi was still alive, a small number of Tekken Force splintered off and remained loyal to Heihachi. They formed his personal security and lodged with him at the Mishima Estate at this time. A large faction who were within Jin's Tekken Force began to have doubts over the destruction they were being ordered to unleash on the world.

In particular, a sizable portion of around 30,000 discontent soldiers and officers would flock to the command of Lars Alexandersson, a Tekken Force captain of notable skill and charisma. Lars went on to turn the renegade Tekken Force faction into the rebel army Yggdrasil, whose main objective was to prevent the war Jin's Tekken Force were waging. The strongest resistance to Tekken Force and the Mishima Zaibatsu came from Kazuya, now the leader of G Corporation, and heralded publicly as a hero for his opposition to the Zaibatsu's warmongering, despite Kazuya's own ulterior motivations. Tekken Force accompanied Jin to the desert in Egypt, where they perpetrated an attack against the civilian population of Zafina's village in order to gain more information about Azazel.

When Jin went missing after his battle against Azazel, command of the Zaibatsu and Tekken Force were passed down to his second-in-command, Nina Williams, in his absence. As Tekken Force were now losing the war against Kazuya, Heihachi arrived and defeated Nina, retaking control of both the Mishima Zaibatsu and the Tekken Force. His primary aim at this time was to restore Tekken Force and the Mishima Zaibatsu's damaged public image.

Tekken Force accompanied Heihachi as he flew to Italy in order to coerce the Archers of Sirius into working with him. Heihachi desired to utilize the Archers extensive political contacts, and reingratiate the Zaibatsu with world leaders. Heihachi also began using the Tekken Force to send relief and aid to struggling countries in an attempt to rehabilitate the tarnished public image of the Zaibatsu. He lodged Tekken Force in many countries to 'protect' them, including against the will of their national leaders.[6]

Tekken Force later led a raid against Violet Systems when Heihachi learned that Jin was being harbored there by Lee and Lars. In spite of their efforts, Jin was successfully airlifted to safety, and Nina was dismissed for her failure. It is unknown what happened to the Force after Kazuya threw Heihachi to his death, since it is unclear who now runs the Mishima Zaibatsu. G-Corporation appears however to be continuing a war for global dominance, largely unopposed, suggesting that the lack of leadership has led to a collapse in Tekken Force's military superiority.

Uniform[]

800px-Kazuya and Tekken Force - Artwork Image - Tekken 4

An 'owl' class officer leading 'crow' class grunts in Tekken 4.

Tekken Force uniform has undergone a number of iterations throughout the Tekken series. Common to all depictions is a full body-suit of armor with a helmet and visor that has narrow, glowing eyes. Tekken Force helmets come with in-built electronic displays in the visors that assist soldiers in surveying terrain and can also relay live footage back to a control room, as seen in the Tekken 4 opening. Tekken Force armor is usually entirely black with red eyes, though some iterations have red armor, and a 'Shriek' class, introduced in Tekken 6 Scenario Campaign, has white armor. In the Tekken Force (Mode) minigames, armor color referred to ranks (lowest to highest: black, green, blue, red).[7] It is likely that this demarcation continues in the mainline games, as, for example, seen by the presence of a red-armored Tekken Force officer apparently leading black-armored grunts against Kazuya Mishima in Tekken 4.

Tk7 ch1 nina tekken force

Nina and standard Tekken Force grunts in Tekken 7.

In Tekken 7, Tekken Force are shown in fully black armor, with large, round pauldrons on their shoulders and high armored collars attached to their breastplates. Their helmets cover their entire faces and their narrow eyes glow red. They have a torch mounted to the left side of their helmet and a communicator on the right. Their helmets are connected to their body suits at the spine by a strip of metal. Their belts are clasped with a three-pointed buckle, and their armor has elements inspired by both medieval European knight's armor and Japanese samurai armor. During Jin Kazama's tenure, Tekken Force had the new Mishima Zaibatsu logo emblazoned on their left breasts and both pauldrons - the Devil mark that Jin bears on his arm. Tekken Force most commonly carry a large assault rifle that is futuristic in appearance and has a scope mounted on the top. Tekken Force are versatile in their weapon deployment, and have been shown using assault rifles, tranquilizer rifles, rocket launchers, submachine guns, and melee weapons such as tonfa, or Tougou's sword.

Noticeably, the Yggdrasil splinter faction highlight their armor in red and spray paint the Tekken Force lion (now associated with Lars Alexandersson and his rebellion) onto their armor to distinguish themselves from their original all-black Tekken Force armor.

Martial Arts[]

A specific martial art has been developed for Tekken Force, called Tekken Forces Martial Arts (鉄拳衆特殊部隊格闘術 Tekkenshū tokushu butai kakutō-jutsu?).[8] Amongst others, it is used by Lars Alexandersson, an ex-Tekken Force captain. According to Katsuhiro Harada, this fighting style was not based on any real martial art and is completely made up.[9] The martial art includes rapid attacks and flashy, quick movements that have both elements of hard and soft karate techniques.

Harada also clarified that that Tekken Force do not unify schools and martial arts, in order to better utilize the individual physiques and characteristics of each member. Some Tekken Force units, for example, share Alisa's High mobility combat using thrusters (スラスターを使用した高機動戦闘 Surasutā o shiyō shita kō kidō sentō?) style.[10] Other Tekken Force soldiers have been trained in Mishima Style Fighting Karate by Heihachi Mishima.[11] Variation in Tekken Force martial arts can also be seen throughout the games, with some favoring hand-to-hand combat such as tonfa[12] and sword[13], whilst others use long-range weaponry. Tekken Force's martial arts expertise can be seen in the Tekken spin-off games: Tekken Force (Mode), in which the player fights through levels of Tekken Force soldiers all schooled in hand-to-hand combat. Tekken Force soldiers also return as enemies using martial arts in Tekken 6 and Tekken 7.

The degree of versatility in Tekken Force training is also hinted at in the way that the ex-Tekken Force splinter group, Yggdrasil, operate. Tougou indicates that despite Lars being their leader, he is often on the front lines using hand-to-hand combat, and that, during these times, Tougou takes over giving orders for him.

Structure[]

Entry[]

Thus far, there have only been two known methods in joining the force:

1. An entrance examination. While it is unknown if there is a written portion within the examination, there is a physical examination which subjects potential recruits to rigorous trials, which may even end with a fight against one of the Force's commanders. Josie Rizal is one of the people who were known to have attempted to enter the Force through this way.

2. Personal appointment by the then-head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. This was done by Jin when Nina Williams and Eddy Gordo were recruited into the Tekken Force. This was also done when Heihachi enlisted the aid of Kuma.

Training[]

The Mishima Zaibatsu-owned Mishima Polytechnical School serves as a Tekken Force training institute. It covertly trains future Tekken Force soldiers here, and numerous Tekken Force members have graduated from the school. An amnesiac Lars Alexandersson vaguely recalls these details, possibly indicating that he himself attended the school.[14]

Ranks and Divisions[]

A number of Special Forces Operational Groups exist within Tekken Force, who are presumably specialised and more elite forces. The prologue to Tekken 6 shows the emblem of the 1st Special Forces Operational Group, and also implies the existence of other Special Forces units within Tekken Force. The 4th Special Forces Operational Group is known to be the finest of Tekken Force's soldiers, which was personally headed by Eddy Gordo during Tekken 6.[15] In Tekken 6, a Secret Service division of Tekken Force exists, which is directly under the control of Jin Kazama and does not answer to any other Tekken Force leaders. These units were used to guard Doctor Bosconovitch's laboratory where Alisa Bosconovitch was being built.

The ranks of Tekken Force soldiers take after the names of raptors. Their ranks, from lowest to highest respectively are:

  • Crow - dressed in full black uniform.
  • Falcon - dressed in green and black.
  • Hawk - dressed in purple/blue.
  • Owl - dressed in red.

Personnel[]

Owners[]

Employees[]

Relationships[]

  • Heihachi Mishima- Originally created Tekken Force.
  • Jin Kazama- Was attacked by them in Tekken 3 and kidnapped by them in Tekken 4. They serve him in Tekken 6, and attempted to abduct him on Heihachi's orders in Tekken 7.
  • Jinpachi Mishima- Had control over them in Tekken 5 / Dark Resurrection but there is no evidence that he used them for anything.
  • Nina Williams- Was a ranked officer of the Tekken Force in Tekken 6, as well as Jin's bodyguard.
  • Eddy Gordo-  Was asked to join Tekken Force by Jin in exchange for medication for his master. Became head of Tekken Force in Tekken 6.
  • Lars Alexandersson- Was a Tekken Force Captain until he, and roughly 30,000 Tekken Force members, rebelled against Jin Kazama when they were unable to tollerate his warmongering any longer. The renegade faction is known by the name Yggdrasil.
  • Tougou- A Tekken Force member who rebelled along with Lars. Was second-in-command and interim leader of Yggdrasil until he died in combat in Tekken 6.
  • Gun Jack- Destroyed between Tekken 3 and Tekken 5. Gun Jack was destroyed while protecting Jane from Tekken Force gunfire.
  • Ogre- Killed a squadron of them before the events of Tekken 3.
  • Kazuya Mishima- Prior to the events of Tekken 4, Heihachi ordered Tekken Force to attack G Corporation and then Kazuya, when he realised he was alive. Heihachi wanted the research data the G Corporation had gathered on Kazuya and the Devil Gene.
  • Crow- Is a member of the Tekken Force.
  • Josie Rizal- Is currently taking the employment examination to become a member of the Tekken Force.
  • Kuma II- Was promoted to join Tekken Force after Heihachi's return as the Zaibatsu's in Tekken 7.
  • Lidia Sobieska- Her country was occupied by Tekken Force and she wants them withdrawn.
  • Anna Williams- Was a member of the Tekken Force in Death by Degrees. (non-canon)
  • Enrique Ortega- In Death by Degrees, Enrique had hired Heihachi and the Tekken Force to protect him. (non-canon)

Gameplay[]

The Tekken Force members are opponents in the Tekken Force side games in Tekken 3 and Tekken 4. They are also opponents in the Tekken spin-off game Death by Degrees during the "Solitaria Penitentiary" parts of the game. Enrique Ortega hired the Tekken Force to protect himself.

The Tekken Force appear more prominently in Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign, acting as the primary enemies for numerous stages. The Mishima Zaibatsu-affiliated characters, Jin, Nina and Eddy, however, will not have any dialogue between each other or any of the Tekken Force members when the player slects them as the main character.

In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, multiple soldiers are sent to act as training dummies for Combot during Fight Lab.

In Tekken 7's The Mishima Saga, Tekken Force return as enemies during the first half of the story.

Trivia[]

  • According to Bruce Irvin's Scenario Campaign Dialogues, numerous Tekken Force members graduated from Mishima Polytechnical School, which was recognized as the official school of the Mishima Zaibatsu.[16]
  • According to Katsuhiro Harada, there are various different ways to enter Tekken Force, beyond just the Mishima Polytechnical School. There are recruitment and training facilities around the world for Tekken Force in different counties. He also states that there are 'scouts' which is a way to join, though it is unclear if he means people scouting out potential members, or youth organizations that lead one into Tekken Force. It's likely he meant the latter, however, since he mentions in the next sentence that Lars Alexandersson likely joined Tekken Force when he was a teenager before progressing to the main part of their army.[17]
  • A notable base of Tekken Force is their Tekken Force 4th Special Forces Operation Group Compound, which appears to be quite close to G Corporation Headquarters.
  • A number of Tekken Force soldiers remained loyal to Heihachi after Jin took over the Zaibatsu, they formed a Secret Service, and served him at the Mishima Estate during Tekken 6.
    • Of the Secret Service, a number are women, suggesting regular Tekken Force consists of male and female soldiers.
  • In Heihachi's Scenario Campaign Playthrough, he comes across multiple Tekken Force soldiers using force against Zafina, who is alone. He says that the way Tekken Force are behaving goes against the 'Code of Conduct' of his Tekken Force, suggesting that Tekken Force were nominally meant to adhere to an honorable way of acting whilst serving under Heihachi's Zaibatsu.
  • Via cheat device, Crow, Falcon, Owl and Hawk could become playable in the console version of Tekken 3.
  • Multiple Tekken Force Members in Tekken 4 were named as references or easter eggs regarding both the development team and the development itself.
    • A member is named "Dean Earwicker", the concept of what would eventually become Steve Fox
    • A member is named "Director Harada", after then-director Katsuhiro Harada
    • A member is named "Okubo Sensei", presumably after Hiroshi Okubo, a longstanding composer of Namco that recently joined the series's composing team.
    • A member is named "Programmer Okubo", after Takeshi Okubo, one of the programmers of the game.
    • A member is named "Modeler Tsuchiya", referencing either Takehito Tsuchiya or Fuminori Tsuchiya, both of which are designers for the game.
  • In Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection and Tekken 6, Lee Chaolan can be customized to look like a member of the Tekken Force.[18]
  • In Tekken 6, Bryan Fury can be customized to resemble Crow or any other member of the Tekken Force.[19]
  • The Tekken Force resembles the Umbrella Security Service from Capcom's Resident Evil series.
  • Despite not having a Tekken Force side game in the console version of Tekken 6, they make appearances in the console version opening, some characters' endings and in Scenario Campaign.
  • The Tekken Force appears in the 2010 live-action film adaption, but are named "Jack-hammers" since they are actually the Jack robots from the video games.
  • The concept of a playable female Tekken Force soldier was considered for Tekken 5 and Tekken 6 and later became one of the candidates (labelled as "Sexy Tekken Force") for a new original character in Tekken Revolution's character poll on the official Tekken Facebook page in June 2013. She got in 2nd place in the poll, losing to Eliza.
  • Tekken Force soldier makes a cameo in Street Fighter X Tekken on Urban War Zone stage, hiding under a giant Servbot head.
  • A few members make cameo appearances in Tekken 7 at Twilight Conflict
  • In Tekken 7, Lars can be customized to wear two variations of the Tekken Force helmet, both of which are the same used for Lee in Tekken 6. The rest of the uniform is not available, however.
  • In a tweet, Katsuhiro Harada said that there had been a plan for a playable Tekken Force soldier who used Mishima Style Fighting Karate and had gone insane after surviving the Tekken Force attack on Ogre in Mexico, during which all the units sent by Heihachi Mishima were brutally wiped out. The idea was later dropped.[20]

Gallery[]

Main article: Tekken Force (soldiers)/Gallery

References[]

See also[]

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