Line #8 BaseBreakingCharacter/Tekken


1	With a long-runner like ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'', sometimes not every character will be a [[BaseBreakingCharacter unanimously praised staple]]. Here's some of the series' most prominent examples.
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3	!!''Tekken''
4	* Paul Phoenix. Many lament that his calmer badass characterization in ''4'' was the top of his characterization. After he became a comic relief ever since ''5'', they take it as if Namco has been doing him dirty to his dignity as seen in ''4'' and before. At the same time, the other camp thinks his comic relief side is okay and ActuallyPrettyFunny. The same argument can also be thrown to Marshall Law and his family; their issues were very much the same about serious characters being turned into comic relief since ''5''.
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6	!!''Tekken 3''
7	* Bryan. In a bit of a subversion, people have no qualms with the character. It's simply a matter of which ''characterization'' of him you like: the more reserved badass that debuted in ''3'' or the raging, power-hungry OneManArmy that emerged in ''5'' (''4'' was a bit of intermediate stage). Although it's worth mentioning that even in 3's ending, Bryan throws the upper half of a tank at a special forces squad and cackles on top of a police cruiser after killing them in one fell swoop, so he wasn't exactly what one would call 'reserved' in early installments.
8	* As the closest the series has had to a proper heroic protagonist to contrast both Kazuya and Heihachi, Jin had developed a broken base on his own following his FaceHeelTurn in ''6''. While some believe that the turn still kept him interesting in terms of him choosing to go down a darker path intentionally such that he can eventually wipe out the entire Mishima bloodline, fans took umbrage with how badly the actual turn in question was executed. Even the explanation that Jin intentionally kicked off the events of ''6'' for an actual greater purpose was watered down by later reveals in ''7'' (namely, that Azazel's defeat didn't amount to anything and the gene had actually been passed down from his grandmother Kazumi's side), and that his noble motives weren't enough to justify starting an entire world war to accomplish his goals. Even as the series has taken steps to making him a more-or-less heroic figure going forward following ''6'', complete with a HeelFaceTurn in ''8'', his entire arc in ''6'' [[NeverLiveItDown continues to haunt his characterization]].
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10	!!''Tekken 5''
11	* When Lili was introduced, she was received warmly as a pretty, stylish and amusing fighter. Even to this day, Lili still has fans who liked her this way. However, come ''Tekken 6'', she gains a sizable number of detractors matching her fandom due to being made into Asuka's rival and her characterization ends up being summed up as 'being extremely petty and making Asuka's life miserable just for being beaten'. It comes at the cost of most of Asuka's other ongoing arcs, starting from her being a Kazama and able to neutralize the Devil Gene, as well as her vendetta against Feng Wei or whatever injustice she feels like in need of some straightening (including her very own cousin Jin), [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot being ignored in favor of a cliched, petty teenage schoolgirl rivalry.]] The detractors also view this rivalry as a poor man's [[Franchise/StreetFighter Sakura Kasugano-Karin Kanzuki rivalry]], because those characters are allowed to develop beyond their rivalry as opposed to Asuka-Lili rivalry which tends to be static. Lili's fans, however, find this acceptable as it also contributes to the popularity of BOTH Asuka and Lili. In a manner, this whole situation can also be applied to Asuka's fandom as well.
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13	!!''Tekken 6''
14	* Bob is a pretty big one (no pun intended). Some people love him for being a fat character that ''isn't'' used solely for comic relief, and for having a very fun playstyle. Others revile him for being [[HighTierScrappy ridiculously overpowered]] (especially in ''Tekken 6'', case in point; EVO 2011 grand finals was a Bob mirror), and for having very little purpose in the game's roster other than being the token fat character - not to mention how he is a somewhat unsubtle [[TakeThatAudience jab at the serious playerbase]].
15	* Alisa is liked for her {{Moe}} design (and is quite popular with [[PeripheryDemographic female]] ''[[PeripheryDemographic Tekken]]'' [[PeripheryDemographic players]], the likes of which include Aruu and Jennail "[=CuddleCore=]" Carter) coupled with a very unique and interesting moveset, not the least of which includes friggin' ''[[ChainsawGood chainsaw blades]]'' before [[Manga/ChainsawMan Denji]] came along. Conversely, she's disliked for - at best - being a serious nuisance to fight against online (namely in ''7'', but most notoriously being ThatOneBoss in ''6's'' Scenario Campaign) and - at worst - being a waifubait character with little else in the way of characterization.
16	* Lars. You either like him for his badass and over-the-top anime-inspired moveset or dislike him for the very same reasons (plus his, ah, [[AnimeHair "unique"]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking haircut]]) and/or have bad memories of his time as a HighTierScrappy in his debut game (and by extension ''Tag 2'').
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18	!!''Tekken Revolution''
19	* Eliza returning in ''Tekken 7'' got many people riled up for being ''yet another'' "waifu bait" character as opposed to a more traditional fighter. As the game already featured Lili, Asuka, Xiaoyu, Alisa, Josie, ''and'' Lucky Chloe, there are more than just a few who accused Harada of deliberately PanderingToTheBase for what some view as the LowestCommonDenominator. The only way to avoid having Eliza in the base game was to ''not'' pre-order also pissed off those gamers who wanted to do just that. The fact that she got onto the roster, while other characters like Armor King, Lei, Anna, Julia, and Zafina had been cut (all of whom later returned as DLC) is another point of contention. That being said, Eliza was included due to her winning a fan poll on who to include in Tekken 7, with second place going a character whose design was so risqué the reason why she wasn't included in past games was because the developers were afraid she'd increase the game's age rating.
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21	!!''Tekken 7''
22	* While still a well-liked character throughout the series, Heihachi's portrayal in ''7'' in particular has been quite divisive, with ''7'' taking great strides to make Heihachi more of an AntiVillain. Some found it an interesting addition that added new layers of complexity to a character who previously came off as somewhat one-note [[spoiler:and made his eventual death in this game significantly [[AlasPoorVillain more tragic]]]], while some felt Harada completely missed what made Heihachi cool and was desperately trying to garner sympathy points for his [[CreatorsFavorite self-admitted favorite character]] [[spoiler:before killing him off]], even at the cost of several [[{{Retcon}} Retcons]].
23	* "2D style" characters, particularly in ''Tekken 7'', in general fall into this. Some players feel Akuma and Geese are great additions as guest characters, whereas many others revile them for their "alien" 2D fighter playstyle and insane combo damage potential.
24	* The inclusion of a GuestFighter in the update to ''Tekken 7'': [[Franchise/StreetFighter Akuma]]. People were either excited for him and made jokes about how this is why he's not in the initial roster of ''Street Fighter V'', or despised him for being a GuestFighter and the fact that he was actually being implemented into the story of the game.
25	* Josie Rizal in ''7'', particularly amongst Filipinos, who either loved her because the Philippines has been historically underrepresented in video games, or hated her because of her {{Stripperiffic}} outfit and a [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous choice of name]] that they consider insensitive to Philippine culture and history. Outside of Filipinos, the argument is different: She's either a decent character and someone that gives Bruce's moveset her own good spin, or she's disliked for having replaced Bruce at all, on top of being a crybaby that cries in one of her victory animations.
26	* Kazumi became this due to the retcons of Kazuya's origin story that she represents as well as dragging out the Devil Gene plot for another game, which some fans saw as played out.
27	* Leroy Smith as well, even though he has shifted the opinion of the player base from a positive one (right after his reveal at the Season 3 trailer, with players almost unanimously praising his character design) into a heavily negative one (after he finally appeared as a DLC in game and made evident his "broken" gameplay with many easy-to-use, overpowered moves, causing players to declare him as a "[=pay2win=]" DLC). His fans were in for a nasty surprise in ''8'' where he ended up receiving a few nerfs while the rest of the cast received notable buffs that makes him one of the ''less'' played characters online. The silver lining is that he gets the chance to properly participate in the story and develop relationships with Jin, Lili and even a rivalry with Feng.
28	* Lucky Chloe fits the bill even in the American fanbase, despite the massive hatred she has received. While some are extremely pissed with her design and overly blatant moe attitude, many have defended her, saying that the accusations were premature; she still brought diversity to the cast, pointed out many of the other more ridiculous character designs that were already in the series (such as Kuma or Alex), and that judgment should be reserved until how she played had been shown. This is a fighting game, after all. In the end, her base is now split between "She's a normal, serviceable character gameplay-wise, and that's good for her" and "She's personality-wise irritating (see AmericansHateTingle)". However, both bases still have an agreement about how she's still above the nameless reporter.
29	* Master Raven. Some disliked her for replacing the original Raven, while others liked having another female fighter in the series. As a bonus for some, the fact that she's basically the ''Tekken'' equivalent to [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Taki]], quite possibly ''the'' most popular and iconic female character of that series, if not overall, in both [[MsFanservice appearance]] and personality, definitely helped with getting fans to accept her. On the other hand, there are those who wanted a female ninja but would've preferred the return of Kunimitsu (who eventually debuted in the Season 4 DLC), especially after she was revamped for ''Tag 2'', instead of a completely new fighter.
30	* [[Series/TheWalkingDead Negan]] as a GuestFighter for a ''Tekken'' game was quite surprising, since he would seem to be more fit towards a Western fighting game series such as ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', where his home series' brutality would be appropriate. Also, ''The Walking Dead'' is not necessarily that large of a fandom to appeal to, even outside the context of fighting games. Still, some players who have actually played as Negan appreciate the uniqueness he brings to the game and several subtle references to the show he's from. Another point of contention with his character is his long, drawn-out intros and win-poses; almost like the game itself encourages Negan players to {{Troll}} their opponents by letting them play out rather than skipping them.
31	* [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Noctis Lucis Caelum]] was not safe from this. True, he's pretty much accepted by a good part of the fanbase, but he is also heavily derided; some fans considered Noctis as Harada's method of riding the wave of then-popular games such as ''Final Fantasy XV'' (this game itself [[BrokenBase being a base breaker of its own]] ''[[BrokenBase in its very franchise's fanbase]]'' also didn't help), or just outright dismissed him as someone who doesn't belong on ''Tekken'''s world. [[note]]This somehow brings into question [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Geese Howard]] as well, as ''The King of Fighters XIV'' has become quite a popular return of the franchise as well. Unlike Noctis, however, Geese is unanimously accepted by the fanbase. It probably helps that the latter is from a fighting game series to begin with.[[/note]] There's also the fact that many considered him a more fitting choice for inclusion in the ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul]]'' series, where his explicitly magical multi-weapon style would be more accepted.
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Context BaseBreakingCharacter / Tekken