Here comes a new challenger! Netflix has announced a brand-new anime series coming to the streaming service based on the popular 3D fighting gameTekken. The announcement came with a first look trailer that gave fans a taste of what to expect in the upcoming adaptation.Tekken: Bloodlineis scheduled to release in 2022.
The new trailer shows off the series' stylized 3D animation as it focuses on the fan-favorite character Jin Kazama, the son of the game series' original protagonist and poster boy, Kazuya Mishima. Jin is shown training in a small village in the woods with his mom, Jun Kazama. The young and brooding Jin is told via voice-over by his mom that “the first opponent you must defeat in any battle is yourself,” pointing to the fact that Jin will need to wrestle with the devil within him (both literally and figuratively). Jin uses this training to take down a group of bullies, but the situation truly turns dire when a demon appears at the Kazama house. Ogre, whom fans of the game series will likely recognize, beats Jin and his mom down.
In the aftermath, Jin seeks out his grandfather, the super-powerful Heihachi Mishima, to train him so that he can get revenge. Heihachi proves to be a brutal teacher just as he is in the games — he threw his own son into a volcano to prove he was strong enough — beating Jin down to prove that he is “worthy of [his] ancestry.” In the closing moments, other characters from the expansive fighting roster are also teased, with characters spanning the entire series including Leroy Smith, Paul Phoenix, and King, as well as a shot of the three Mishima generations changing into one another. With what was shown in this trailer, it is possible that this series will be taking place aroundTekken 3, which was both Jin’s debut game and saw Ogre as a major antagonist. Little else is currently known about the upcoming series.
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Tekkendebuted in 1994 is still one of the most popular fighting games in the world, with its most recent mainline entry being 2015’sTekken 7. The series most revolves around the inner family conflict of the Mishima family as they and the other fighters compete in various King of the Iron Fist Tournaments across the series, all hosted by the Mishima Zaibatsu, the corporation run by the family. The renowned tournament brought fighters from all around the world to compete, with later entries putting the leadership of the entire Zaibatsu up for grabs to the competitors. Throw in some magic and supernatural abilities, and you got yourself a pretty explosive fighting game setting!
Tekken: Bloodlineis not the first time the game series has been adapted for animation — a two-part OVA anime series calledTekken: The Motion Picturewas released in 1998, andTekken: Blood Vengeance, a full-length CGI-animated film, was released in 2011. The series has also been adapted into a live-action movie and multiple comics. The series joins other video game adaptations on Netflix likeCastlevaniaandArcane.Both series have seen critical and audience acclaim as adaptations of their source material and strong standalone shows. Hopefully,Tekken: Bloodlinewill join their ranks when the time comes. Other video game adaptations coming to Netflix include an animatedDevil May Cryseries made by the team behindCastlevaniaand thesecond season ofArcane, both of which still lack release dates.
There is currently no release date though the series is slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix sometime in 2022. You can watch the announcement trailer down below.
Here’s the official summary forTekken: Bloodline:
“Power is everything.” Jin Kazama learned the family self-defense arts, Kazama-Style Traditional Martial Arts, from his mother at an early age. Even so, he was powerless when a monstrous evil suddenly appeared, destroying everything dear to him, changing his life forever. Angry at himself for being unable to stop it, Jin vowed revenge and sought absolute power to exact it. His quest will lead to the ultimate battle on a global stage — The King of Iron Fist Tournament.
